At Winter's End
by bluecrush611
Summary: James "Bucky" Barnes didn't remember much about what it was to be normal. He experienced flickers of it while being around his best friend, Steve Rogers, but it wasn't enough. He was to be forever haunted by The Winter Soldier - until he met Agent Madison Clark and a series of events changed everything. Takes place sometime after Civil War. Bucky/OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, all! It's been a while! I'm in new territory this time, straying from my usual Walking Dead stories. I'm in between publishing books right now, so I thought I'd spend my free time writing something totally new and fun. I can't say for sure how many chapters this will be, but I am planning to keep it as a short story. Hopefully it will appeal to you guys! Please be kind—I'm out of my element here, haha…**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Damn you, Clint. This is your fault! You know that, right?"

"I'm sorry, Nat! You zigged when I should've zagged, and well…here we are."

Natasha Romanoff glared at her friend and fellow Avenger, Clint Barton, from the confines of her hospital bed. A thick temporary cast covered her entire right leg, protecting the multiple fractures she'd endured after a very unfortunate game of baseball. She had gone on countless missions and returned without a scratch. Who knew America's favorite pastime could be so goddamn dangerous?

Doctor Anderson, a tall, bald man of about fifty, walked in before more words could be exchanged. He glanced at the X-rays illuminated on the wall. "I hate to say it, Ms. Romanoff, but I think—judging by the severity of your fractures—it will be at least three months before we can remove the cast."

 _"Three months?"_ she and Clint asked at the same time, their eyes wide. She slammed her head back onto her pillow and sighed in frustration.

"Do you think it could be any sooner?" Steve Rogers asked from his spot by the window.

Dr. Anderson shrugged. "I'm sorry, but no. Any attempt to remove it before twelve weeks would result in further injury."

Grim lines cut through Steve's hopeful expression as he crossed his bulging arms. Regardless of the diagnosis, he thanked the man for his time and Dr. Anderson excused himself from the room.

"So now what?" Natasha grumbled as she stared at the tile ceiling.

"You're gonna need someone to take care of you for a little while. Why don't you come and stay with me and Laura? I know the kids would love to see you, even under these circumstances," Clint said.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Will you let me have control over the TV remote? Because if I have to suffer through one more _Dukes of Hazzard_ marathon, I will walk out—broken leg or not."

Clint frowned. "What do you mean _'suffer'_? That show is a _classic_! It's much better than the garbage you like to watch!"

Steve cleared his throat and started to inch toward the door. "Well, uh, I'm going to head back. Let me know if you need anything. Feel better," he said, but knew he wouldn't get a response. He could still hear the arguing twosome as he stepped into the elevator.

When he arrived back at the Avengers headquarters, or as they liked to call it, The Compound, he took a seat in the modern living room. He tossed his blue baseball cap onto the coffee table and looked around at the other superheroes, who were also occupying the suede armchairs. Tony Stark, Sam Wilson, Vision, Wanda Maximoff, and Sharon Carter stared back with interest.

"Twelve weeks—at the very least," Steve said.

A collective groan rose from the group. In their dusty athletic clothes, they looked like a strange major league baseball team that had lost the game and, in a way, they had.

"What gives, man?" Sam asked, gesturing with both hands.

Steve closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. "She has multiple fractures. It's just the way it is. We'll have to get by until she returns. Clint had already asked for time at home, so he's taking her back with him."

Vision sat forward and said, "Forgive me if this is an invalid observation, and in no way does it reflect my feelings on your abilities to perform, but I would say we are undermanned."

"Huh?" Sam asked flatly.

Tony rolled his eyes. "We need more people, dummy."

Sam bristled. "I know, man. It's just, why's he gotta talk so weird?"

"Did you ever think that maybe _you're_ the one who talks weird?" Tony retorted.

Steve held up his hand before Sam could retaliate. "All right, enough. Listen, Vision is right. We have an op scheduled for this weekend in London. Thor is back at Asgard, Peter has—school," he said with a chuckle. "Lieutenant Rhodes is working, and Scott can't seem to answer his phone. Does anyone know where Bruce went?"

Wanda grinned and said in her thick accent, "He heard we were playing baseball and made sure he was out of town. He'll be back tomorrow."

Steve nodded in understanding. "Is my boy all thawed out yet?" he asked Tony now.

"Almost. As you know, he'll need about four hours to get his bearings. When he's feeling up to it, we'll start the blood tests."

"Sounds good." He was anxious to have Bucky around again. Things just weren't the same without his best friend, like a piece of him was constantly missing.

Sharon knocked Steve out of his thoughts when she said, "I think I know someone who can help us."

"Another agent?"

She nodded. "And a good friend. Give me until tomorrow. I know she won't turn this down," Sharon said with a smile.

"Great. We need all the help we can get."

* * *

The next day, Steve waited until he got word from Tony. He left his office and walked down the carpeted hallway that led to their main lab. The glass door slid open and he entered the sterile room, which smelled of rubbing alcohol and hospital soap—the latter he despised.

Tony glanced over as Steve crossed the brightly lit space and stood next to him. James "Bucky" Barnes lifted his weary head from where he'd been watching Tony take a vial of blood. Dark strands of hair hung in front of his face and he shook them away. Steve met the man's gaze and held his breath.

"If you married Sharon and I missed the wedding, then you can just put me back in that freezer," Bucky said, his voice rough, but deep.

Steve cracked a grin. He was always so relieved when Bucky remembered him. "No, man, we're not married."

"Still together?" he asked with a slight smirk.

"Yes, I mean, sort of. It's complicated."

Bucky shook his head, still appearing somewhat tired. "Later you'll have to un-complicate it for me over a beer."

Steve smiled. "You got it…"

"Speaking of," Tony said, "is that the new girl with your 'sort of' girlfriend?"

Both men turned their heads to look through the glass wall that bordered the Compound's entryway. Sharon was introducing a young woman to Wanda and Vision. The woman had shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, petite facial features, and a small frame to match it. Her pinstriped blouse, black skinny jeans, and nude pumps were just tight enough to show off her toned figure.

Bucky let his eyes wander over her. He swallowed hard and tried to ignore the flutter in his low belly—surely a side effect from everything he'd been through that day.

"Yes, it is," Steve said. "That's Agent Madison Clark."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: It feels great to be back! Thank you for all of the reviews, follows and faves! :)**

* * *

Madison Clark shook Vision's hand, fascinated by his unique coloring—something she'd always wanted to see up close. She knew about all of the Avengers—who didn't—but pulling an all-nighter to get a crash course in their files helped provide a deeper understanding of their backgrounds. She barely resisted the urge to start asking him a string of questions. She knew there would be a better time and place for that, though.

"Madison is one of our top agents. She and I have been through a lot," Sharon said with a laugh. The two women exchanged a knowing look. "She'll be a great addition to the team while Natasha is away."

"It's good to meet you," Wanda said, smiling. "I'll need some help keeping these boys in check."

Madison grinned and was about to reply, but got that strange feeling like she was being watched. She glanced to her left and saw three men talking in the next room, their gazes directly on her. Her grin faltered. She knew all three would be very attractive, but nothing prepared her for their appearances in person. Wanda was right—this place reeked of testosterone.

But she wasn't complaining.

Directing her attention back to Wanda while she still could, she simply said, "I'm happy to help in whatever way I can."

Sharon held out her arm and began walking down the hall. Madison gave Wanda and Vision one more pleasant smile and then followed. The lab door slid open and they entered, their heels clicking on the white ceramic tiles. Madison clenched her jaw as she attempted to quell her nerves, then exhaled quietly, releasing the tension.

Steve held out his hand and she shook it, saying, "It's an honor to meet you, Captain Rogers."

He flashed his white teeth. "Call me Steve."

She swapped a handshake with Tony. "Mr. Stark, I'm a huge fan of your work."

"Thank you. And, uh, I'm sure I'll be a fan of whatever it is you do," he said with a mischievous sparkle in his dark eyes.

Steve scoffed. "Come on, Tony, we talked about this."

He turned up one hand, pretending to be surprised. "What?"

At the same time, Sharon smirked and said in a stage whisper, "See, I warned you about this one."

Madison mirrored the smirk and then locked eyes with the last man in the room. Something in his penetrating gaze told her that Sharon had warned her about the wrong guy.

When the room fell uncomfortably quiet, Steve began to say, "This is Sergeant James Barnes, but we all call him—"

"The Winter Soldier," Madison said, sounding somewhat in awe.

"Bucky," the dark-haired man supplied, his eyes slightly narrowed. "They call me Bucky."

She fought to contain the blush rising into her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I just…I've read a lot about you." She had found his file the most interesting, but wouldn't admit it—at least not to his face.

He briefly raised his eyebrows and a tight smile pulled at his full lips. "All good things I'm sure." His deep voice was laced with sarcasm.

Her gaze softened on him. She knew about Hydra, his framing in Vienna, and the truth behind Tony's parents' deaths—so many merciless deeds, caused by the use of only ten specific words.

"'The past does not define us; what does is only who we choose to be,'" she quoted.

"That's good," Tony said. "You get it off a fortune cookie?"

Madison laughed. "I don't remember where I saw it. It just stuck with me." She looked at Bucky once again and said sincerely, "It's good to meet you."

He gave her a single nod in response.

"So you're sure you're up for this? It can get pretty intense," Steve said. "I mean, if Sharon recommended you, then I won't question her judgment. I know you read our files—I read up on you, too. It was impressive."

Madison shrugged. "I'm not a superhero. I don't have a fancy suit. I don't have super strength." She paused. "But I believe I have the skills to hold my own. I'm here to help in whatever way I can, if you'll have me…"

Steve quickly looked at the other people in the room. When they didn't contest, he nodded and said to her, "Welcome to the crew."

* * *

After Sharon and Steve said a few words in private—and shared an awkward kiss—the woman left to catch a plane back to London. Wanda showed Madison to her guest room, which was far nicer than any hotel room she'd ever been in. The king-size bed was outfitted with cool-colored sheets and a leather-studded headboard. Large windows lined one wall, showcasing a spectacular view of the lap pool down below. Also on that wall, a sliding glass door led out onto a small balcony. There wasn't much in her room, but Wanda told her she was welcome to add personal touches since it would be home for the next few months.

Madison opened her suitcase and started to unpack. Steve stopped in for a moment and told her dinner would arrive at 1800 hours—Sam had dubbed Mondays Chinese night. She thanked him and he went on his way. After taking a few minutes to answer some emails, she decided to get in a few laps before their food showed up. She changed into her one-piece black Speedo bathing suit, and covered it with a pair of athletic shorts and a zippered hoodie. She grabbed a towel from her bathroom and took the elevator to the first floor.

The luxurious lap pool was bordered by tall hedges on one side and rolling green grass on the other three. A concrete patio edged the water itself, boasting a few lounge chairs for those who did not feel like swimming. She tossed her towel onto one of the chairs and stripped down to her bathing suit. After a few quick stretches, she dived straight into the crystal blue water—she never bothered stepping in inch by inch to get used to it. The cool liquid felt amazing, swirling around her as she cut through it using a simple freestyle stroke.

After about twenty minutes, Madison emerged from the pool. She began to walk toward her towel—and stopped in her tracks. Bucky stood with the towel in his hand, and held it out to her. She resumed walking and took it from him, hoping to appear casual and unfazed, even though her heart was knocking against her ribs.

"Going for a swim?" she asked. Her bathing suit was appropriate and covered quite a bit, but there was something about the way he looked at her. She might as well have been naked.

He smiled a little, blowing an amused breath through his nose. "No, I don't think Stark would approve of that." He held up his arm, which was covered by a long-sleeve shirt. His exposed metal hand shone in the sunlight. "He just gave me a new arm."

Madison watched him move his fingers with ease and said, "Technology's come a long way in seventy years."

Bucky slid her a sidelong glance. "Ain't that the truth."

If he wasn't going to swim, she wondered why he had come down to the pool. She went to pick up her clothes, but he reached out and touched her arm, his normal hand warm on her cool skin.

"What you said to me earlier…" He hesitated. "Do you really believe that?"

She frowned. "You mean, about not letting your past define you?"

He nodded.

" _Of course._ We've all done things we're not proud of, but we can't let those actions dictate our whole lives. Granted, your situation is a little different. But right now you, James, have control over who _you_ are. What you do with that is entirely up to you. It has nothing to do with the Winter Soldier."

Bucky scowled at her and pointed at his head. "But he's in here. He's a part of me. When and where that guy shows up is something I have no control over."

Madison realized the conversation was getting somewhat heated and hadn't meant for that to happen. She'd heard that Bucky Barnes was the quiet type and rarely said much, so their current discussion surprised the heck out of her. She wrapped the towel around her torso and turned to face him again. It was the first time she noticed how tall he was—by at least a head. His broad shoulders rippled beneath the black shirt and for a moment she felt intimidated by his sheer size. She forced herself to meet his eyes, their cobalt color reflecting the pool water behind her. Instinctively she gulped, and saw something change in his gaze. His shoulders dropped on an exhale and something resembling apprehension flickered in his eyes.

Stepping out of her comfort zone and into the bear cage, she touched her middle and pointer fingers to his chest, feeling hard muscle underneath. "James is in here…and that's who I'm talking to right now. That's all that matters."

Before he could say anything, she gathered her things and brushed past him to go back inside the Compound.


	3. Chapter 3

Bucky and Steve sat in the chairs by the lap pool, a cold bottle of beer in hand. A few lights lit up the Compound's backyard and reflected off the pool's surface, appearing like twinkling glass. Their pristine lawn had been mowed that day, and the scent of freshly cut grass hung in the summer air.

"How're you feeling?" Steve asked, referring to the "unfreezing" process the other man had experienced just twenty-four hours before.

Bucky took a sip from his bottle and shrugged. "Fine. The chills have worn off, so it could be worse."

Steve chuckled. "I remember that all too well. There were some very unpleasant side effects that no one ever mentions."

He cracked a grin and said, "Yeah…it seems I've avoided those this time around. Maybe I'm just getting used to it."

"Hopefully this will be the last time…unless, you don't want it to be," Steve said, glancing over.

Bucky breathed deeply and took in his surroundings. He knew there was ugliness in the world—in people—but, while sitting under a blanket of stars and enjoying a cool brew with his best friend, that seemed impossible. He began to pick at the label on his beer and answered, "I'd like for this to be it. Banner and Stark seem confident."

"They wouldn't have woken you up if they weren't."

"I'm just surprised that Stark was willing to help after…" Bucky trailed off. He didn't need to say it aloud. He'd killed Tony's parents.

Steve's voice was quiet as he said, "Tony agrees now that the Winter Soldier is to blame—not you, Bucky. He didn't at first, but I think it finally clicked that there was a way for him to fix that. He's in the position to do so—ignoring that made him feel responsible for future deaths—should there be any."

"I sure as hell hope there aren't," Bucky mumbled. "Still…I'm surprised. I'm pretty sure he hates me."

"Yeah, let's just say he's not your biggest fan. As twisted as it is, he's glad that you at least have to remember what you've done. He feels like that's payment enough."

The words stung—not nearly as much as the memories—but, regardless, he had to hide a smirk. "That's something he and I can actually agree on. I should have to live with that."

Steve looked over at his friend and frowned.

Deciding to change the painful subject, Bucky said, "What's been going on with you and Sharon?"

Steve let out a sigh, then smiled. "Ah, it's complicated."

"You said that before," he quipped, drawing off his beer again.

"Well it's the truth! She's in London now, I'm here—when I'm actually here. It seems like we're getting shipped off every other weekend to who knows where, and that's just the problem. I never know where I'm going to be, so it's hard for us to make plans. I think we've had more miscommunications than genuine conversations."

"How is it when you're together?" Bucky asked.

"Great. Really great. That's why we keep trying. It's just tough, man…"

Bucky thought about all the women he'd been with back in the 1940s. He had never considered himself much of a "player"—that was what people called that now—but he'd never gone without. He'd always had a date, a beautiful woman on his arm—hell, sometimes two. Now, it was the exact opposite. Being on the run a few years back hadn't left much time for a relationship of any sort. He wouldn't have wanted to bring a woman into that anyway—too dangerous. Even though he hadn't felt a woman's touch in over 70 years, the urge hadn't really been there.

Until today.

Something about Agent Clark intrigued him—excited him. He felt like he was coming alive again and wasn't even sure why or how. Okay, he wasn't completely oblivious—Madison was beautiful—but he'd certainly been around a lot of other beautiful women. Why was she different? He would admit that Natasha and Wanda were both easy on the eyes, but they didn't ignite something within him. That warmth he'd experienced in his low belly this morning was an entirely new reaction. For just a moment, he wondered what it would be like to satisfy that desire—with Madison. To feel her soft skin beneath his lips, her lean body arching against him, her breathy whispers at his ear…

He cleared away the tightness in his throat and asked, "What's it like to be with someone after all these years?"

Steve took pause. "You mean, like, intimately or in general?"

Bucky avoided his friend's prying gaze, answering quietly, "Both."

"It's a little strange at first, but, after a while, it doesn't seem like any time has passed. We're still technically in our thirties so it's not as weird as we make it out to be in our heads," Steve said with a smile. "It's like riding a bike."

He finished his beer and shot Steve a pointed look, eyes narrowed.

The other man stifled a laugh. "Right, I hear it. That was inappropriate—not my intention."

Bucky clapped him on the back and grinned. "It's all right. I just like giving you a hard time."

* * *

 _Madison bent over the side of the tall building, her muscles burning as she grasped Agent 19's hands. Who was she kidding? They were past formalities. Sarah, her name was Sarah, and they were friends now. And that friendship hung in the balance, literally, as the woman hung over the side of a building in Cape Town, South Africa—a building which neighbored a lab for scientists testing volatile chemicals on monkeys. It had been their mission to put a stop to it before those chemicals or animals were somehow released, wreaking havoc on the general population. But Sarah's cover had been blown, and she'd gone up to the roof to escape. When she'd jumped for the neighboring rooftop, where Madison had been waiting as backup, she'd come up short. Now it was up to Madison to make sure they both made it out alive—an unexpected amount of pressure to be put on a "rookie."_

 _"Don't let go! Please!" Sarah begged._

 _"I won't! I promise I won't!" Madison said through clenched teeth. She braced her footing against the roof's edge and began to lift the other woman._

 _Just then, a door opened on the lab's rooftop. Madison glanced up to see a guard armed with a tactical rifle. He looked through his scope and fired. The round hit Madison in the shoulder, knocking her backward—and away from Sarah._

 _Sarah's scream as she fell echoed in Madison's ears…_

Madison bolted upright in bed, grabbing at her shoulder and feeling the raised scar, as the scream dissipated. The pain in her shoulder also faded, but was replaced by a dull ache in her chest. Tears welled up, streaming down her cheeks, and this time she couldn't fight them.

Kicking off the covers, she strode out onto her balcony and leaned against the railing. Standing in that spot, she suddenly imagined Sarah's terrified face and stepped back. She hugged her middle and wept, glancing up at the crescent moon and star-filled sky.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

A very light rustling sound resonated in her right ear and she jerked to attention. She tried to reach for her gun and realized she was unarmed, clad in only a thin tank-top and black yoga shorts. Bucky stared at her through the darkness, his hands held up, as if he meant no harm. He wore baggy, cotton pants and a dark t-shirt. His chin-length hair, tucked behind his ears, wasn't messy in any way, so she assumed that he probably hadn't fallen asleep yet.

"What are you doing out here…on my balcony…in the dark?" she asked, quickly wiping away any stray tears.

"Well, it's my balcony, too…and I was here first. I was actually trying to…leave." He pointed inside. "Ya know, to give you some privacy."

She knew she shared a balcony with the neighboring guest room, but hadn't known that anyone was staying in there, let alone Barnes. Feeling bad, she shook her head. "Sorry, I just…"

"Rough night?"

She glanced at the ground and then out across the yard, nodding.

He shifted his feet. "You, uh, were crying. Can I do anything?"

She looked at him now and smiled briefly. "I don't really want to talk about it. God knows I have…for hours, from the work-appointed counseling sessions, to the required psych evals…"

"You lost someone," he said so simply, it made her heart constrict. He knew. He understood.

Madison closed her eyes on a wave of pain—of remembrance. "Many someones," she whispered. "It's probably why they won't give me a partner anymore." She threw him a look and tried to laugh it off, but her grin faltered and gave way to a grimace.

Bucky let out a quiet sigh and said, "I'm sorry about earlier today. I didn't mean to attack you."

She welcomed his change of topic. "Don't worry about it. I came on a little strong. I'm sorry for that."

"No, not at all." He paused, staring at her, studying her. "You're not afraid of me. Most people are."

She couldn't stop the clichéd line before it escaped her lips. "I'm not most people."

His mouth tugged up at the corner as he started to move toward his sliding door. "No, you're not." Before she could process that, he said, "Night, Maddy," and disappeared into his room.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Madison took a town car to the SHIELD building in D.C. Once a month she was expected to check in with the nearest office for a physical and psychological evaluation, just to make sure she was in peak condition mentally and physically. When it was over, she returned to the Compound, feeling like everything had gone well. As she set down her bag in the entryway, she noticed that the group was gathered in the living room—Steve, Wanda, Vision, Sam, Tony and Bruce Banner—everyone, except Bucky.

She walked over to them, their eyes shifting toward her as she subtly searched for the missing man. "What's up?" she asked.

"Our recon op this weekend got cancelled," Steve replied with a sigh.

Her brows knitted together in surprise. "What? Why?" She knew how important this op was. Sharon had filled her in when she'd joined the team—a British man, Thomas Catesby, with deep pockets and an even deeper influence on the British government, was looking to secretly overthrow the monarchy once and for all. He had an important meeting scheduled in London on Saturday and a gala planned for that evening. The group had arranged to fly in Friday night, do recon on Saturday, then fly out Sunday. Not attending or getting information from these events could hurt their mission in the long run—their mission being to protect the monarchy, for its collapse would ultimately affect the United States.

"We've been made," Sam said.

"What do you mean?"

"Somehow Catesby found out that we were going to be in London, so our cover's blown," Steve said. "We had to back out."

"That's ridiculous," she said. "This is too important to miss. How the hell did he find out?"

Steve shook his head. "I don't know, but we're out."

"When you say he 'found out _we_ were going,' who are you referring to?"

"Uh, well, everyone sitting here, I guess. Why?" he asked, suspicious.

Madison looked around the room, taking in their discouraged faces. Sucking in a deep breath, she stated, "I'll go."

Everyone appeared stunned and somewhat speechless. Finally, Steve said, "You can't go alone."

She gestured outward with her hands. "Why not? I've done this sort of thing before. I go in disguise, get my information, and leave."

"All it takes is one slip, one _rat_ —possibly the same one who made us—and you're done. Catesby has killed people for less. Obviously he doesn't do it himself, but he has the ability to make people disappear," Tony protested.

Madison heaved out a sigh. "I need you to trust me on this. Let me prove myself, that I can be an asset to this team. People know your faces—you're famous. I'm not. I can do this."

When Steve began to protest again, a deep voice said from the kitchen, "I'll go with her."

They all turned to see Bucky standing against the sink, a glass of water in his large hand. The neck of his white t-shirt looked damp and his forehead shone, probably from exercising in their private gym.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Bruce asked, eyeing him skeptically. "We haven't implemented the procedure yet. You're still susceptible to activation, should someone want that. You know it doesn't take much…"

"I know," Bucky said, setting down his water, perhaps a little too hard. The glass cracked. He slowly released a tense breath and glanced at Madison. "I know." His voice was softer this time.

She had to look away from his intense gaze—so much heartache and _fear_ in his beautiful eyes. It was a huge risk for him to go outside the Compound with the Winter Soldier still inside him, but he was willing to do it for her. No, wait…for the _group_. Not just her. She had to resist the urge to slap her forehead.

"No one knows I'm off ice," Bucky continued. "It gives us the advantage."

"You'll watch out for her?" Steve asked now.

As he nodded, Madison said, half-joking, "Hey, guys, I can take care of myself." When they ignored her, she gave Bucky a sincere smile. "But I welcome the help."

The corner of his lips curved into a faint smile, a sight that made Madison's heart do a small flip.

Steve didn't notice their slightly flirtatious exchange as he continued on to say, "I had told Sharon I would visit her this weekend, so I'll fly you over there on Friday. Be ready to go at 1300 hours?"

"Sounds good," Madison replied, turning away from the group and Bucky, purposely avoiding his gaze as she walked by. Any more looks like that from him and she'd be a puddle on the floor.

* * *

Friday afternoon came faster than Madison could have hoped. She and Wanda had spent Thursday raiding Natasha's closet while the redhead spoke to them via video chat. Madison needed a designer suit for the meeting and a dazzling dress for the gala, and Natasha knew exactly what to lend her.

Now, Madison boarded their private jet with those garments in hand. She stowed her things in the back and sat behind Steve, who was in the pilot's seat. Bucky boarded the plane a moment later, placing himself beside her. She admired how handsome he looked in simply a baseball hat, hooded leather jacket and jeans—until he made eye contact and caught her staring at him. She gave him a quick smile and began rooting around in her purse. She pulled out a weathered copy of _Jane Eyre_ and opened it to her bookmarked page.

"Charlotte Brontë," Bucky said with a hint of a smile. "Even I've heard of her."

Madison glanced up and said, "She's my favorite. I've read this book more times than I am years old."

"There are millions of books in the world. I've never understood the appeal of reading something more than once."

She shrugged. "It brings me…comfort. When I'm stressed or scared, I just open it to where I last left off and start reading. I'm familiar with the story. There aren't any surprises. I know the characters inside and out…"

"Are you scared right now?" he asked quietly. It seemed like a forward question, but his genuine concern overshadowed that.

Madison chewed on her bottom lip and glanced toward Steve, who wasn't paying them any attention. She looked back at Bucky and whispered, "Can I tell you something I've never told anyone?"

His brow twitched, like he hadn't expected that response, but then he nodded.

"I hate flying." She followed her confession with an embarrassed grin.

Bucky let out a soft chuckle. He quickly wet his lips—an unexpected action that drove her insides wild—and said in a hushed voice, "Your secret's safe with me."

* * *

They landed in London a mere two hours later, thanks to their Mach 3 jet. It was well past dinnertime in Great Britain, but not quite that time back in the states. She hoped they would opt for some room service after checking in, and then call it an early night.

Sharon picked up Steve at the airfield, while Madison and Bucky took a town car to their hotel. The establishment was welcoming and, perhaps, historical, as it lacked the modern edge that most hotels had nowadays—and it was absolutely breathtaking. A beautiful crystal chandelier graced the grand lobby, which boasted a dark wood finish and gold accents. The twosome checked in and took the elevator to their room. Madison had been a little surprised to find out that they were sharing a room, but it wouldn't be a problem. There were two beds and two of them.

But there weren't two beds.

Bucky opened the door for her. Once inside, they both stood staring in alarm at the king-size bed. The rest of the room held a coffee-colored leather couch, television, and small dining set.

Madison was the first to speak. "I'm going back downstairs. We can get a different room…"

"I heard someone say they were full up. Football match."

She huffed out a breath. "Uh, well…we're adults. We can share the bed," she said with a shrug.

He waved her away. "Nah, it's all right. I'll just take the couch."

Madison frowned. She wondered if he was trying to keep things professional or if he had some kind of aversion to her. She wanted to assume it wasn't personal. It still hurt though.

Bucky dropped his bag by the couch and turned right around to go out the door. "I'm going to get an extra blanket. Be right back…"

"Okay," she responded, starting to open her bag on the bed. She pulled out a long-sleeve shirt and lounge pants. The flight, while short, had still left her feeling tired and uncomfortable. She longed to change, get a quick bite to eat and fall asleep watching something mindless. She stripped off her boots, pants and shirt, stuffing them into her bag. Before she could put on her new clothes, the hotel door clicked open. She grabbed her gun, not expecting him to be back so soon.

When Bucky came through the doorway empty-handed, she stopped aiming at him and aimed to cover her body instead. She imagined he got an eyeful of her black bra and lacy underwear before he even knew what was happening. His eyes got wide, then shut, as he spun around and put his back to her.

"Shit, James!" she exclaimed.

At the same time, he said, "I- I'm sorry!"

While she struggled to put on her shirt and pants, she asked, "How'd you get back here so fast? I thought you were getting a blanket."

"I _was_. I ran into the concierge in the hallway and he said there's a blanket in that closet." Bucky pointed to a nearby door.

Sighing, she said, "You can turn around now."

He moved slowly, not quite meeting her mortified gaze. She watched him take off his hat and toss it onto the table, along with his jacket and gloves. He raked a hand through his hair, his bicep bulging beneath the soft material of his burgundy shirt—a hue that probably matched her cheeks. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave her a feeble smile.

"Thanks for not shooting me."

 _After that, I might turn it on myself,_ she thought. Instead, she playfully rolled her eyes and nodded.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for continuing to follow along! Let me know what you think of the story so far and your hopes for future chapters! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! They are always so helpful! On a side note, my Walking Dead readers know how much I love to write with music, so I wanted to share that I've been listening to Echosmith, especially their songs "Tell Her You Love Her", "Ran off in the Night" and "Surround You." Pretty much they're all great, haha… It's really helped me set the general mood for this story. ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Madison made sure she woke before Bucky, as it was pure female instinct to not allow him to see her in an unkempt state. She showered and put on Natasha's black, knee-length Armani dress with matching blazer. She pulled her dark blonde hair into a French twist and applied a light layer of makeup.

When she left the bathroom, she saw that Bucky was already awake and nursing a cup of coffee. He wore similar clothes to the day before but hadn't put his hat on yet. She admired the soft dark brown strands that brushed his jacket collar and had to resist the urge to touch them. It was strange—she'd never been attracted to guys with longer hair. Clean cut and clean shaven had always been her type. Even the dark scruff on Bucky's face appealed to her. It made him look rugged, dangerous...and ridiculously handsome.

As she approached him, he raised his eyes from the newspaper in his hand and smiled. "Morning."

"Good morning," she replied, returning the smile. She turned her back and could feel his gaze as she walked over to the coffeemaker. She poured a cup and then faced him, indeed catching his eyes on her. He immediately looked down at his paper once more. She took a sip of her beverage to hide the flattered smile that tugged at her lips.

"How was the couch?" she asked, tongue in cheek.

He didn't look up as he said, "It was fine."

She smirked. "My offer still stands. I promise I won't hog the blankets…"

He finally looked at her, but it was only a glance. "Really. I'm okay."

Sitting down across from him—and feeling even more rejected than she had the night before—Madison set up her laptop and began to go over the details for this morning's meeting.

* * *

Bucky sat at a café across the street from Catesby Tower, another coffee in hand. He pretended to read the paper all over again as he listened to Madison in his earpiece.

"Don't forget to sit in the back," he said quietly, pretending to wipe his mouth.

 _"This ain't my first rodeo,"_ she murmured.

"What?"

 _"Nothing, it's from a song..."_

"Why would—?"

 _"Just, nevermind. I see Catesby. Sitting down now._ _In the back."_ She emphasized the last three words.

Bucky smothered a grin. He couldn't hear much after that, so he went over the past twelve hours in his head. Sitting next to Madison on the plane had been slightly torturous; knowing she was so close and smelling her sweet yet spicy perfume. It reminded him of cherries and amber—an intoxicating combination. But when they'd arrived at the hotel room to find one bed, he knew that _that_ was true torture. He was trying to keep it together, to be a gentleman. He wasn't against sharing a bed at all—oh, hell, did he want to—but knew it wouldn't end well for either of them if he gave into those urges.

And how those urges had grown after he'd walked in on her changing. It was a complete accident, but had allowed him just enough time to see the faint swell of her pert breasts, which tapered to a small waist and then slightly wider hips. Not to mention miles of ivory skin and lean muscle. He'd gotten up in the middle of the night as sleep eluded him, and for one brief moment he had considered lying down next to her. Nothing sexual, just a simple acceptance of her proposal. But he was afraid she would see him as a creep, like maybe it had only been a polite offer and she knew he would decline. Besides, walking in on her had only managed to make things more awkward between them.

Everything was so confusing now. He'd never analyzed anything so much in his life. He liked Madison, trusted her—a fact that surprised him. (He'd learned not to trust people when he could hardly trust himself.) But she was genuine…humble, and he felt protective of her, even if she insisted that she could take care of herself. He didn't want to screw this up if it had the potential of leading somewhere.

But it couldn't. No way. He was the Winter Soldier—a cold-blooded killer. Madison deserved better.

 _"Moving in now,"_ she said suddenly, knocking him from his maddening thoughts. " _Mr. Catesby, that was an impressive speech you gave…"_

Bucky listened to Madison as she spoke in a perfect British accent—something he hadn't known she was going to do. It helped their cover though, so he let it go.

She must have leaned in close, because his earpiece crackled for a moment as she said, _"I think you and I have common interests. I'd like to find a time to discuss them with you…maybe somewhere more private."_

Bucky ground his teeth together, imagining her delicate fingers lingering at Catesby's shirt collar. The newspaper in his hand crinkled as his fist contracted around its edge. Luckily, his burner phone went off just then, distracting him long enough to stop from tearing apart his reading material.

 _ **Package delivered.**_

"You're good to go," Bucky said, his way of telling Madison that the clear microphone sticker she'd just placed under Catesby's collar was working back at the Compound. It would allow Tony and the others to listen to and record all of the man's conversations until he changed.

 _"Thank you, Tom."_ The man must have asked her to call him by his first name. Yet another thing that got under Bucky's skin but shouldn't have—she was only doing her job. _"It's very kind of you to invite me to your gala. I will gladly attend. See you then."_

* * *

Madison struggled to pull up the zipper on her dress, but couldn't seem to get a good grip on it where it rested in the middle of her back. She huffed out a breath, swallowed her pride and poked her head out of the bathroom. Bucky stood in front of the dresser, adjusting his blood red tie in the mirror. Tight leather gloves helped disguise his metal hand. His crisp white shirt was tucked into black dress pants and finished with polished black shoes. His dark hair had been slicked back and he'd done away with the stubble she'd come to adore.

He looked so good that she felt a bit breathless as she stared at him.

Finally, she managed to ask, "James?"

He glanced over and the breathlessness increased. Maybe the dress was too tight? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea? Maybe she shouldn't have taken this job?

It was too late for all that.

"Could you help me with my dress?" she begged, unable to hide her embarrassment.

She thought she saw him hesitate for a second, but then he smiled. It was never a toothy grin, just a sweet curve of his lips and sincerity in his eyes that caused warmth to radiate through her chest. She stepped out of the bathroom and knew she saw him hesitate at that moment, his smile faltering. She glanced down at her crimson dress, a silk and chiffon Stella McCartney with off-the-shoulder sleeves and a thigh-high slit. Her hair fell in soft waves and dramatic makeup offset her conservative look from earlier in the day.

Bucky moved behind her and efficiently pulled up the dress's zipper, his gloved fingers barely touching her ultra-sensitive skin. When she turned around, she was surprised to see that her high heels brought her eye level with his lips, which caused her to involuntarily stare at them and their gorgeous, curved shape. She lightly wet her own lips and flicked her gaze upward, meeting his. She saw his jaw clench and nostrils flare. She swallowed hard as his head started to dip. His mouth brushed across hers, just a whisper…

"Oh, I forgot," Madison said in a panic, shattering the moment between them. She slipped past him and reached into her bag. "Here, put these on." She held out a wedding band and pair of glasses, hoping he didn't notice the slight tremor in her hands.

His chest rose and fell as he stared pointedly at her. She didn't bite—wouldn't.

 _Absolutely. Could. Not._

When he realized she wasn't going to acknowledge what just happened, he focused on the objects in her hand. "You're kidding."

"I am not, Mr." She paused and grabbed their IDs. "Mr. Chris Sutherland."

"And who are you?" he asked.

"Why, Mrs. Beth Sutherland, of course," she said with a smirk as she slipped on her massive diamond ring.

Grudgingly he put on the glasses, which were black-rimmed until about halfway down the lenses, and then looked in the dresser mirror. He scowled. "I look ridiculous."

She bit her bottom lip and said the words without thinking. "You look handsome."

He shot her a look. It was almost dangerous. Certainly not mad, but intense to say the least. The man had _kissed_ her—and she'd run away like a nervous teenager. He probably wasn't too happy about that. Was he embarrassed? Was she leading him on?

 _Why didn't I just kiss him?_ she thought with an internal groan. _Just look at him! What's wrong with you?_

Madison told her muddled brain to shut the fuck up and reached for his black suit jacket, handed it to him and said, "Let's do this," turning away before he could respond.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews! And for forgiving Madison's lapse in judgment, haha! (I mean, seriously, what's wrong with her?) Now, let's see what kind of trouble these two can get into…**

 **Update: Warning for possible sexual assault.**

* * *

With their arms linked, Madison and Bucky walked up the marble steps to Catesby's mansion, stopping at the top.

"Names and identification?" a man asked.

Madison retrieved their ID cards from her clutch and said, "Beth Sutherland. This is my husband Chris—my plus one."

The man looked at his list. "Okay, go ahead."

They passed him, but she froze when they saw a man waving a metal detector over each guest before they entered the estate. Madison glanced at Bucky with fear in her eyes and he shook his head, as if to say, _don't worry about it._

Frowning in confusion, she stepped forward and was scanned by the wand, yielding nothing. When Bucky moved up, the thing went crazy.

"Sir, what are you carrying on your person?" the guard asked, perplexed as Bucky's entire arm made the detector squeal.

Speaking low, Bucky said, "I injured my arm and hand in the war. They replaced part of it with a metal bar and it's full of screws. I'd prefer not to—"

"Oh, no problem!" the man said, obviously trying not to offend a veteran. "You serve in Iraq?"

Bucky cleared his throat. "Yeah, two tours."

"Well thank you for your service, soldier."

Bucky nodded and continued ahead, offering his arm to Madison once more. She moved close to his ear and whispered, "Smooth."

He simply smiled.

They walked into the foyer and another man took Madison's coat. When they entered the main ballroom, it felt like all eyes were on her, and for a moment she wondered if the red dress was too much. She needed to blend in, not stand out, but Natasha had insisted.

As she scanned the grand room filled with men in tuxes and women in beautiful gowns, she caught Catesby's eye. His gaze moved over her and he smiled. When she glanced at Bucky, she saw that he was clenching his jaw.

"I'm going to talk to him, okay?"

Any humor was gone now from Bucky's dark blue eyes. He nodded and said in a clipped tone, "I'll get us something to drink."

She crossed the polished hardwood floor and eyed the gigantic crystal chandelier overhead. When she arrived in front of Catesby, he grinned. Standing at about six feet tall with wavy brown hair, sharp features and sensual eyes lined with dark lashes, he was quite dashing, especially in his all black tux. She couldn't remember his exact age, but knew he was in his forties—the type of man who aged like a fine wine.

"'Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I never saw true beauty till this night,'" he said in his charming accent as he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and stifled a laugh. "Shakespeare? Really?"

He smiled, flashing his white teeth again and said, "I'm sorry, that was naff, but I couldn't help it—a beautiful woman deserves poetic words." He pulled back from her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. Glancing down, he frowned at her wedding rings. "These weren't here earlier today."

"I forgot to put them on before I left this morning. The buggers are so big I can't stand to sleep in them. My sheets would be in shreds by the morning," she said with a laugh.

"So where is this husband of yours?"

"He's here somewhere…"

"Here you go, doll," a voice said from her right and placed a flute of champagne in her hand. She looked over at Bucky as he softly kissed her cheek and then took a sip from his drink, most likely top-shelf scotch. She felt her face redden at the endearment and wondered if this was the "real" James she'd heard about—the one from before the Winter Soldier. His charm gave Catesby a run for his money.

She managed to say, "Thank you" and drank from her glass, trying not to be overzealous.

"Thomas Catesby," the man said, his hand extended.

Bucky shook it with a firm grip and replied, "Chris Sutherland."

"Ah, an American?"

Bucky smiled pleasantly, continuing to daze Madison. "Born and bred in New York. My great grandfather struck it rich in the gold rush and went back to the East Coast to start his business."

"Old money, then," Tom stated with his own polite smile.

Bucky nodded. "It's why she married me. Right, honey?" he said, throwing Madison a wink.

Tom chuckled. "With those cheekbones? I doubt that was it."

Madison laughed along with them, feeling disoriented and thrown off her game. She needed to focus and get the job done, but they were making it difficult. Thomas had a point, though—Bucky could be dirt poor and she'd still find him wildly attractive. Hell, he probably was poor! She knew nothing about his financial status. Was he paid by the government? It wasn't like he worked on a regular basis…

 _Ugh, focus, Madison!_

"Well, if you would excuse us, we'll let you attend to your other guests," she said as Catesby took her hand once more. When she pulled away, there was a small note against her palm. She kept it hidden and steered them toward the bathrooms. "I'm going to powder my nose."

Bucky took her empty glass and studied her flushed face. "You okay?"

Madison kept her expression blank. "Yes, I'll just be a minute."

When she got into the single bathroom, everything polished to a high shine, she quickly opened the note, which read: _My study. 10 p.m._

She put a hand over her galloping heart and leaned against the sink. She knew she'd have to go in alone and it made her somewhat nervous. Okay, _a lot_ nervous. She could handle herself—she'd been in worse situations—but something about Catesby seemed off. Just a gut instinct.

After patting her face with water and drying it with a towel, she exited the bathroom and made her way over to Bucky. He finished off his drink and discarded their glasses on a passing serving tray. He offered her his elbow and she instinctively curled into him.

"Sure you're all right? You were breathing straight into my ear," he mumbled, concern evident in his deep voice.

Somehow she'd forgotten about their earpieces, even though she'd just heard the echo as he spoke to her. Maybe she was getting used to his voice inside her head? She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. "He wants me to meet him in his study at 10."

Bucky glowered at her. "I don't know about that…"

"It's _the plan_. It's why we came here. This isn't the time for reservations," she whispered harshly. "And if you can't shake them, then you can see yourself home."

He shot her a hard glare and then a smile jerked at the corner of his lips, but his voice was anything but happy when he said, "There's no way I'm leaving you here alone with him," as if the idea was ridiculous.

She huffed out a breath. "Fine. Stay. Drink and be merry. Maybe use your charm on one of these beautiful ladies," she said, hating the words even as she spoke them. The idea of Bucky hitting on another woman made her stomach turn.

He didn't blink and she could feel the sexual tension lingering from earlier. "You know I'm not going to do that."

Madison didn't want to admit how happy that made her. In fact, she was quite irritated with him. Because he was right…and she hated being wrong.

Bucky leveled his gaze with hers and said, "Whatever you do, Madison, don't take out your earpiece. If you need me, I'll come running."

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Thank you, but I'll be fine."

* * *

At ten o'clock, Madison made her way to Catesby's study, leaving the door open as she waited for him. The walls and ceiling were lined with mahogany and a gold chandelier hung from the center of the room. A fireplace crackled nearby and warmed the dark space. Bookshelves boasted classics—for reading or decoration, she wasn't sure. She walked toward a large desk that tastefully matched the walls. She examined it and then pressed another microphone sticker under the middle piece.

 _"You're good to go,"_ Bucky said in her ear, confirming once again that the device was up and running.

"Beth, sorry to have kept you waiting," Catesby said suddenly from the doorway, and she jumped where she stood by his desk. "Did I give you plenty of time to snoop?"

Her smile wavered but she laughed to cover it up. "Not nearly! I was hoping to find out where you got this desk—it's gorgeous!"

He laughed too, telling her that he'd just been joking and she wasn't caught. She relaxed, but then he closed the door and she was unnerved again. He sauntered toward her until she was backed up against the desk. He stared at her with intent. He was a very handsome man, but something—or someone—was keeping her from wanting to act on it. It didn't take her long to acknowledge exactly who that "someone" was.

"You look beautiful tonight. This dress suits you," he murmured, and leaned in, skating his fingertips over the silky strap at her bicep. His lips grazed her neck and his hand wandered upward, tracing the column of skin he'd just kissed.

Suddenly, his hand closed around her throat, squeezing tightly. Madison gagged and struggled against him.

"Who do you work for?" he demanded.

She pulled at his hand but it wouldn't budge. "No one," she choked. "I swear."

 _"Madison, are you okay?"_ Bucky asked through the earpiece, his voice nervous.

"Your background check came back clean—too clean. You're hiding something and you're going to tell me what it is." His grip loosened, but only slightly.

 _"Madison? Madison! I'm coming in…"_ Bucky began.

"No!" she rasped, hoping it was enough to stop Bucky. Catesby narrowed his gaze and she managed to say, "Please, let me explain." Grunting, he let go. She coughed and sucked in a painful breath, massaging her throat. In a rough voice, she said, "My parents were wrongly accused of a crime against the royal family and I watched it destroy their lives. My personal files are all a lie—they made sure of it—so it wouldn't take me down with them. They died without getting justice, but I don't care about that anymore. I want to see it fall. All of it. For destroying my family."

Catesby pursed his lips, as if in thought. He didn't make a move to speak, so she continued.

"I heard about your plan to overthrow the monarchy—from whom, it does not matter—but the how has eluded me. I want to help. And thanks to my husband's 'old money,' I have the means to support your cause, if that's what you need."

"I do…have needs. And money is not one of them."

Madison held her breath and gritted her teeth as he ran his hand under the slit in her dress and grasped her bare thigh. His mouth pressed against hers and she fought the urge to cringe, even more so when his hand started to travel. It slipped between her legs and she cursed the fact that her dress didn't allow underwear. When he touched her center, she shuddered. He probably assumed it was out of pleasure, but in reality, she wanted to vomit.

"We'll take them down together," he whispered in her ear as he stroked her.

Tears threatened, but she wouldn't let them drop. Her bottom lip trembled, so she tucked it between her teeth.

Without warning, Catesby withdrew his hand and tugged her hips away from the desk. He spun her around and slammed her forward, bending her over the hard surface. She cried out as he pressed her head down and began to yank up her dress.

 _"That's it, I'm coming in!"_ Bucky said quickly, hearing her distress.

"No!" she shouted, but it couldn't hide the raw fear in her voice.

Catesby must have thought her outburst was directed at him, because he said, "It's too late for that, love…" He wrestled with his pants as he continued to hold her down.

Just then, the door burst open.


	7. Chapter 7

Catesby hadn't managed to do more than unbuckle his pants when Bucky threw open the study door. He advanced across the room, his gaze murderous. Eyes wide, Catesby took a step back from Madison. He opened his mouth to speak, but Bucky's fist connected with his face before any words could escape. Catesby fell backward, sprawled out on the expensive Oriental rug. Bucky moved toward him, but the man reached under a nearby chair and withdrew a handgun from where it had been taped to the bottom.

"Your whore of a wife asked for it! I didn't do a bloody thing!" Catesby exclaimed with red trickling from his brow.

Bucky's face scrunched up in anger and he surged forward. Catesby fired the gun, but he blocked it with his metal arm. The bullet made a "ting" sound and ricocheted off.

"What the hell?" was all Catesby managed to say before Bucky climbed over him and swung three heavy punches. The man tried to fight back, so he hit him again...and again. Catesby teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, but Bucky wouldn't let up.

Meanwhile, Madison righted herself and reached for Bucky's arm. "We have to go! Someone will have heard the shot!"

He hit Catesby again, this time with his metal fist, and she heard a crack.

"Shit, Chris, stop! You're going to kill him!"

"I should kill him!" he spat, shrugging off her touch.

"You don't want to do that! I know you don't! Come on! Security will be here any second!" She tried to move him again, but he held her away and choked the man with his other hand. "Dammit, stop it!" she muttered. In a moment of panic, she shouted, _"Zhelaniye!"_

Bucky froze, his whole body tensing. A shudder moved through him and, slowly, he turned to look at her, his whole face registering disgusted shock.

She had said "longing" in Russian—his first trigger word.

"Madison?" he whispered so softly that she almost didn't hear him. The pain and accusation in his voice broke her heart.

Swallowing her fear and regret, she said, "I'm sorry…but we need to go. _Now_ , James…"

He glanced down at the mess in front of him. Catesby was out cold, but still breathing. It would have to be enough until they figured out what to do next. Standing up, he yanked off his gloves, which were ripped and bloody. She reached for his bare hand, but he brushed past her, heading for the patio door at the back of the room. She released a defeated sigh, took one last look at Catesby's battered face and then followed Bucky outside.

After traveling through the outlying woods to avoid security, they made it back to the main road and Madison pulled out her phone. She tapped one of her contacts and waited through only two rings.

"Hey. Everything okay? I just got a text from Tony…"

"Steve," she murmured, out of breath, "we've been compromised. We need to leave tonight."

"What happened?" he demanded.

She shook her head, even though he couldn't see it. "I don't know…" Her gaze landed on Bucky and he stared back with a mixture of expressions—resentment, fatigue…sadness. His incessant silence was disconcerting, to say the least. "Please, Steve, can you come and get us?"

"Of course," he said quickly, knowing how serious their situation probably was. "I'm tracking your cell's location. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Madison disconnected and put her phone back into her clutch. She sat on a bench behind them and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering against the misty night air. Something touched her shoulders and she looked up to see Bucky draping his suit coat around her. She watched him rip off his tie and undo the first two buttons on his white shirt, which was spotted with Catesby's blood. A few strands of Bucky's hair had come loose and hung in front of his eyes. He pushed them back with one hand, but they fell forward again when he cast his gaze to the ground.

She wanted to say something to him, but had no idea where to start. She'd had a job to do, as unpleasant as it was, and Bucky had interfered. She understood why—and deep down was thankful for it—but their higher-ups may not see it that way. They'd had a mission and failed—plain and simple.

They stayed in uncomfortable silence until Sharon pulled up to the curb. Steve got out the passenger side and came around to check on the twosome. Madison's dress was muddy and torn from running through the woods. Bucky had blood on his shirt and an angry scowl that said, _Don't ask_.

But Steve didn't have to.

"They know who you are," he said, his words damning.

"How?" Madison asked.

"Video surveillance in Catesby's study. They saw Bucky's hand and heard him call you by name—your real name. We know this because you set up the microphone under his desk. Tony's been recording everything since…"

Her face paled. She'd forgotten about that. It meant they'd heard everything back at the Compound. _Everything_.

"We need to go!" Sharon yelled from inside the car.

Madison and Bucky rushed to climb into the backseat and Steve occupied the front again. As Sharon pulled away and sped down the road, Madison crossed her arms under Bucky's coat. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and he did the same. She imagined they were like two children who got caught at the party by their parents and dragged back home for punishment. The assessment probably wasn't too far off.

They arrived at their private hanger and Steve gave Sharon a quick kiss goodbye before boarding their aircraft. Madison felt bad that the couple had to cut their visit short because of her and Bucky's screw up. She didn't have time to dwell on it though as Bucky followed Steve and she was forced to do the same.

Once up in the air and at a safe altitude, Madison made her way to the galley. She reached for a bottle of water, but paused, spotting a stash of mini vodka bottles. She wasn't sure who they belonged to—probably Tony—but at that moment, she didn't care. She snapped off one of the tops and took a long swig. It burned all the way down, making her sputter, but she ignored it and finished the bottle. She snatched three more and went back to her seat.

* * *

When they landed in D.C. and arrived back at the Compound, Bucky bypassed the control room and headed for bed. Tomorrow would suck—about as much as today—and right now he needed sleep to be able to deal with that. He threw his bag on the bed and sat down, leaning forward and running his hands through his hair. He was tired, but too much shit was running through his brain.

He knew he wouldn't be able to relax until he cleared his head, so he walked out onto the balcony. Madison's door was closed and he wondered how she was doing. They were in a lot of trouble, but he couldn't see any other way he could have handled it. There was _no way_ in his right mind that he would have allowed Catesby to assault her. It didn't matter that she'd asked him to stay away for the sake of the mission.

Fuck the mission. Madison's well-being was more important.

Suddenly, her sliding glass door opened and she stepped outside. She noticed him immediately, but still jumped. He apologized.

"Don't do that…and don't look at me like that," she murmured.

"Like how?" he asked, feeling his frustration begin to rise up again.

"Like a victim. Because I'm not."

He simply stared at her.

"I'm not!" she insisted, belligerent. "Why did you go to the gala with me anyway?" she shot at him, her words somewhat slurred. "I could have done it by myself!"

"I was there to protect you, which is _exactly_ what I did. You seemed to be doing just fine by yourself with your dress pushed up and face pressed into a table!" he said sarcastically, losing control of his anger.

"I've been trained for those kinds of situations! I could have stopped him if I'd wanted to!"

"Then why didn't you, Madison?" he asked in a softer voice now.

"I was just doing my job."

Bucky scowled at her. "And what's that? As a prostitute?"

"You asshole!"

He shook his head. "How far are you willing to go for this job? Because I'll bet that if roles were reversed, they wouldn't go to such great lengths for you."

He knew his words rang true, because she dropped her head without retaliation.

Carefully, he asked his next question, brows furrowed. "Have you done this before?"

She remained silent—and he got his answer.

His eyes flashed and she held up her hand as tears sprang into her eyes. "It was just once! Just one time…"

"Why?" he breathed. "You're better than that, Maddy. Your job isn't worth degrading yourself in the process."

She swallowed hard and wiped away the wetness on her cheeks. "If it means anything, I hated myself afterward."

He tilted his head as his tortured gaze moved over her. "Of course it matters…"

Madison turned around and walked back into her room, swaying to one side and supporting herself on the bed. For a moment he had forgotten she was drunk. She hadn't said anything to him on the flight back, the empty alcohol bottles under her seat had said enough. He certainly wouldn't have minded a couple or more drinks himself. He watched her flop down onto her pillow and turn onto her side, facing away from him. He took that as his cue to leave.

"James, wait…"

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. She had rolled toward him and stretched out her hand. After exhaling a breath, he crossed the room and took it. Wondering what she wanted—and if he should have just left—he simply held her hand and waited.

"Will you stay with me for a little bit?"

Bucky gulped and weighed his options, but before he knew it, he was lying next to her, his head on the opposite pillow.

"At least you don't have to sleep on that couch tonight," she said, amusement in her voice.

He chuckled softly. "Good point…"

She smiled sleepily and patted his hand, saying after a moment of silence, "This is nice." Then, her fingers curled between his until their hands were clasped together.

He turned his head and expected to see her looking back at him but, instead, her eyes were closed. Her chest rose and fell, the red dress riding dangerously low. His gaze moved down and saw that the ratty material had bunched up and her smooth legs were exposed. Internally, he groaned. The animalistic side in him wanted to start at the slit on her dress and rip it open until he could taste her bare breasts and bury himself between her thighs. These disturbing thoughts made him feel like a sick bastard, no better than Catesby. He knew she'd been assaulted only hours before, the dark bruises on her neck starting to show.

Bucky let go of her hand and ran both of his over his face, scrubbing them back and forth. They were both damaged people, and his inappropriate thoughts weren't going to help anything. He wanted to help her though, as she was so willing to help him. From day one she'd accepted him, baggage and all—and didn't judge him for it.

Frowning, he glanced at her once more. "Madison?"

Her lashes fluttered open briefly. "Mm?"

"You've never called me Bucky…only James. Why?"

She drew in another slow breath and he wondered if she'd fallen back asleep, but a moment later she said on a sigh, "That's who you are."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, faves and follows! :)**

* * *

Madison opened her bleary eyes, fighting against the sickening ache in her head. She knew she'd drank on the flight home—not much, but enough. She was such a damn lightweight that she should have known better. And maybe that had been the point. She wanted to forget all about Catesby and what had gone down the night before.

A heaviness on her hipbone registered somewhere in her muddled brain. She looked down and blinked against the morning glare shining off Bucky's metal arm where it rested comfortably against the red fabric covering her hip. Below that, her bare leg jutted out from the long slit and lay nestled between his solid thighs.

Since he was asleep, she gave in to temptation and let her eyes wander over him.

He was still dressed in his black suit pants. His wrinkled white shirt was untucked from his pants and rolled up at the forearms. His chest moved slowly up and down with restful slumber. His slicked-back hair had come completely undone and gone wavy from the London mist. A thick strand hung over his face and, without thinking, she moved it behind his ear to admire the return of his five o'clock shadow.

She was so attracted to him that it scared her.

Suddenly, Bucky's hand moved and his smooth fingertips pressed into her backside, palming the supple flesh. His eyes didn't open though. Evidently he didn't know what he was doing—or maybe he did. She still hadn't forgotten about that kiss in their hotel room…

Madison waited for him to wake, but his hand relaxed, still cupping her rear end. She decided to give in to temptation once more and gently touched his arm. The metal was cool under her fingers. She traced the sleek ridges, wondering what it was made up of underneath.

From top to bottom, the ridges started to retract to a closed position and she yanked her hand away before her fingers got pinched. Her eyes flicked up to meet Bucky's and he attempted to hide a smirk. His tired gaze searched her surprised face and she got lost in the ocean of his blue eyes.

"Can you control that?" she asked quietly.

He pulled his arm away from her, perhaps hoping she wouldn't notice where his hand had been, but how could she not? "I do," he replied.

"Can…can you feel anything in that arm?"

He hesitated and she stumbled to fix her awkward question.

"I'm sorry, that's personal. I shouldn't have asked."

He chuckled softly. "No, it's all right. I, uh, can't feel much—just changes in pressure or temperature. It's basically a prosthetic arm, but a lot stronger. I've used it to stop bullets—I wouldn't have been able to do that otherwise."

Madison nodded and curled her arms into her chest.

Bucky continued to stare at her across the pillows. "I just happened to wake up and saw what you were doing. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yes you did." Her tone was serious, but her gaze suggested playfulness.

He cracked a grin. "Okay, maybe a little. I'm sorry…"

She smiled. "It's okay. I'm just teasing." Her amused expression faded as the headache took hold of her once more. She shut her eyes and rubbed her forehead.

"How're you feeling?"

"Shitty," she mumbled.

"I'm not surprised. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's only going to get worse."

She knew he was referring to what was in store for them that day, and sighed. "You're not lyin'."

He rolled over and pushed up to stand. He was deliciously handsome in his disheveled clothes, but, nevertheless, appeared strong and capable. He circled around the bed and offered Madison a tight smile, his hands in his pockets. "I didn't mean to stay here all night. I sincerely apologize for that."

She sat up and waved him away. "No worries. I think I remember asking you to stay… Besides, we were tired." _Excuses, excuses…_

He nodded in agreement. "Well…I'll see you in the conference room."

She sighed again as her heart sank. "Yeah, I guess you will."

Bucky turned and exited onto the balcony. She heard his door slide open and close. Dragging her hands over her face, she groaned and stood. When she began to walk, she almost tripped over her ripped dress. She grunted in frustration and reached her hand back to unzip the tight garment. It was then that she remembered not being able to zip it up in the first place—not without help. She cast a glance at the wall that divided her and Bucky's room. Swaying back and forth, she fought herself internally as to what to do.

After trying to unzip the darn thing until her arm cramped up, Madison marched onto the balcony and knocked on his door. She peered through the glass and almost jumped back when she saw him appear on the other side. He slid open the door. Apparently he'd also been trying to get undressed, as he'd removed his shirt and started to unbutton his pants. She tried to tear her eyes away from his rippling abs and the scars where his muscled chest met the metal arm.

Bucky cleared his throat and she snapped to attention.

"My, uh, my dress…" She spun around and gestured toward her back.

"What about it?"

She refrained from rolling her eyes. Why did he need to make this even more difficult than it already was? "I can't get it unzipped. Would you please help me?"

His brows jumped up. "Oh, yeah. Sure."

He stepped outside and, like the day before, held onto the top of the dress and pulled the zipper down. Though it was much further than he needed to—the entirety of her back was bared to him, revealing the fact that there was nothing underneath. The fingertips on his normal hand brushed the curve of her spine and she felt his warm breath flutter across the back of her neck. She held the dress against her body and hoped he didn't notice the tremor moving through her.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper, and looked over her shoulder. His eyes had darkened and she saw his jaw clench as he glanced at her lips. It was like the hotel room all over again, except this time she knew she wouldn't be able to stop when he started kissing her.

"Buck? Hey, Bucky, you in there? I'm coming in…" Steve said from the outside of his room. Madison hadn't heard the man knock first, but he must have because the door opened and he stepped inside. The pair stared at him in alarm. Even though they hadn't done anything wrong, it just looked bad. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry. I thought…" he said, his words drifting off.

Madison scurried away to her room and, before she closed the door, heard Bucky say to him, "It's not how it looks, man…"

 _Or maybe it is,_ she thought with resignation.

* * *

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed in a much more comfortable outfit of jeans and a blouse, Madison made her way to the conference room. She stopped to get a cup of black coffee in the kitchen first. The place was a ghost town—she figured they were all already waiting in the other room. She wasn't ready to face them, but probably wouldn't ever be.

With her heart beating like a sledgehammer, she punched in the door code and stepped inside. As expected, everyone was there, but if she was being honest, she only saw Bucky. He was also freshly showered and dressed in casual clothing. His gaze softened on her and she gave him a weak smile.

Once she had sat down across from him at the large wooden table, Tony tapped some buttons on his phone and then flicked it to project a hologram screen. Immediately, Madison felt sick to her stomach. The screen showed an untitled audio track. Tony hit play and Catesby's voice filled the silent room. His smooth British accent now had an unpleasant effect on her, causing ice to flow through her veins.

 _"Your background check came back clean—too clean. You're hiding something and you're going to tell me what it is."_

She choked down a swig of coffee, which soured before it reached her belly. She felt Catesby's hands around her throat, pictured the bruises that everyone was trying not to stare at as they listened. She heard her voice and wondered if that was really how she sounded—minus the fake accent of course. The recording continued, escalating to the point when Catesby slammed her down on the desk. The impact caused the microphone to squeal.

While she stared into her coffee cup, Bucky watched her from across the table. She flinched at the high-pitched sound and he blew out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "All right, I think that's enough."

"Uh uh. Not yet," Tony retorted, allowing the recording to continue.

Bucky continued to watch Madison as she shifted restlessly in her seat. Her knuckles turned white around the coffee cup and her fingers trembled.

 _"Dammit, Stark! Shut it off!"_ he shouted.

Tony's dark eyes flared. _"No!"_

Luckily, his outburst covered up the moment when Madison had said his first trigger word. They stopped just in time though to hear him murmur her name.

 _"That,"_ Tony said, hitting stop and jabbing a finger at the screen, " _that_ is what you call a major fuck up."

Bucky looked away, his expression cold.

"Barnes was doing his job," Steve interjected. "He went with Agent Clark to provide protection."

Tony scoffed. "Oh, look, big surprise—you're defending your old buddy—but the surveillance isn't a set-up this time."

"You're right, it's not. Agent Clark was assaulted and before it could escalate Barnes stepped in to help," Steve said.

"Did he? Did we even listen to the same thing?" Tony asked, his brows drawn into two hard lines.

Steve laughed without humor and shook his head. "You heard it plain as day—Agent Clark said no because she wanted Catesby to stop. He crossed the line—"

"She was saying no to Barnes! Her focus was on the mission and his was elsewhere," Tony said as he pointed at Bucky.

"If you're suggesting what I think you are—"

"What? That Clark was ready and willing to sleep with Catesby, and Barnes was jealous…"

Bucky pressed his lips together and squeezed a fist against them to stop from lashing out. He looked at Madison, taking in her pale face and hooded eyes.

Meanwhile, Sam looked between them and saw the damage Tony and Steve were causing. "Guys…" he tried to say, but they talked over him.

"Why is it always dramatics with you? We should just admit that it's our fault they got put in that position in the first place," Steve said.

Tony began to respond, but Madison slammed her hand down onto the table. _"Enough!"_

Everyone stared at her. The only sound that could be heard was the humming of the air conditioning.

"Stop talking about us like we're not here!" She exchanged a look with Bucky and his eyes were fearful of what she'd say next. "Catesby hurt me. He got me in a compromising position. Yes, the mission led me to lead him on, but Steve is right. I needed Barnes' help and he was there. Please, don't let him be punished for that."

Banner stepped forward and his expression was grim. He held her desperate gaze and said, "He won't be, and neither will you...but." He paused. "Catesby's men found our bug. We recorded everything up until that point. We know that they know Madison's real identity. By now there's a good chance that they know who you are because she called you James right after that," Banner said to Bucky. "Now we have to wonder what their next move is…"

"Consider yourselves under house arrest," Tony stated.

"And that's not punishment?" Madison asked.

"Not if you want to live," he responded with an unimpressed smirk.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey, thank you for the reviews! I'm sorry this update is so short. I've been ridiculously busy and will continue to be, but I wanted to get something out to you all. My updates will probably slow down, but I won't abandon this story! For those of you who celebrate it, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and for those of you who don't, have a fabulous weekend! :)**

* * *

One week passed by. The team worked around the clock to keep tabs on Catesby and his associates, but they'd gone underground, off the radar. Banner and Stark redirected their attention to finding a cure for Bucky. They started the second week with a round of experimental treatments. The first was a shock treatment that seemed to work at first—Banner recited the trigger words to Bucky without reaction—but was followed by a series of migraines so severe that Bucky couldn't keep anything down for two days. Afterward, when Banner tried the words again, Bucky flinched at the first one.

Moving on to the next experiment, they injected Bucky with an anti-serum, but only a half-dose—just in case. It was a good thing. The experience was reminiscent of the original tests implemented by Hydra. It made his insides burn, and all he could do was thrash and cry out in the chair.

Madison stood outside the lab, watching and hoping that the latest test would work. She'd been by Bucky's side during the horrendous migraines, helping him with whatever he needed. She couldn't take this, though. She attempted to block out his screams as she retreated to her room. When the guys brought him back to his room later on, she met them there. Bucky was so worn out, he could hardly move. Madison got him a drink of water and sat beside him, stroking his hair as he stared at her in misery.

"Why are you doing this? It's going to kill you…" she murmured, her voice breaking.

He looked at her through bloodshot eyes and swallowed before saying, "That probably wouldn't be such a bad thing."

A tear rolled down her cheek and she turned her head, swiping it away.

The next day, it seemed as if Banner and Stark agreed with her—it was all taking a toll on Bucky, and too much at once could cause more harm than good. They decided to wait a few more days and let him regain his strength. In the meantime, they would come up with more tests.

On Friday, Sharon flew in from London. She didn't have much information on Catesby, but she'd heard whispers that he was planning to make a move soon—in what way, she did not know—but it would be big. They had everyone working on it back at HQ and would update her when they had something.

After Vision made a special dinner for the group, Madison poured herself a drink at the bar off the living room. Sharon slid into the closest stool and smiled at her.

"Got one of those for me?"

Madison stopped with the drink midway to her mouth. She pursed her lips and then passed it to the other woman. She poured another and occupied the seat next to her. At that moment, Bucky entered the large room, walking over to talk to Steve where he sat with Sam and Wanda in the living room. They offered him a beer but he passed. She thought he looked quite a bit better than he had over the last two days—some color had returned and he appeared less frail—a state that she'd never expected to see him in. She watched him sit down and grin when Sam cracked a joke.

"Steve told me you've been taking care of him," Sharon said, sipping from her glass.

Madison nodded. "Somebody had to. Poor guy…" She swirled the amber liquid in her cup and became silent as she replayed his worst moments in her head.

"I think you wanted to," Sharon whispered. When Madison didn't respond, she added, "I don't know him well, but he's Steve's best friend. He wouldn't have done everything he has if Bucky wasn't a good guy."

Finally, Madison looked at Sharon, her gaze serious. "He is—they both are."

"And I happen to think you'd be cute together," Sharon said innocently.

Madison scoffed and shook her head. "That can't happen— _we_ can't happen…"

"Why not?" the woman asked.

"Uh, it should be obvious. We're working together. That would be unprofessional."

Sharon smiled. "Do you think Steve and I are unprofessional? Because it's the same thing. In a couple of months you'll go back to SHIELD and he'll be here. Unless they fix him, that is. Then he'll be a civilian. You have every right to be together."

Madison finished her drink and shot Sharon a loaded glance. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a bad influence?"

Sharon just laughed. "I speak the truth when it needs to be heard."

The women finished their drinks and went on to sit with the others. Everyone joked around and shared light conversation—something they all needed after two stressful and agonizing weeks. When they called it a night, Madison returned to her room in better spirits, changing into her usual bedtime wardrobe of a tank top and yoga shorts. She wasn't sleepy yet so she started to browse the guest room bookshelf for something to read. The books were probably there for decoration, but when it came down to it, they still served as entertainment.

All of a sudden there was a knock at her door—her balcony door—which could only be one person. At the thought, warmth spread throughout her chest and seeped into her belly. She padded across the room and slid open the door. Bucky subtly looked her up and down before meeting her gaze with a sweet smile.

"I have another door ya know," she said, returning the smile.

"Yeah, but we don't want people to get any ideas," he retorted, and walked past her when she stepped back to allow him inside.

 _I think it's a little late for that,_ she thought with an internal chuckle. "So what's up?"

Bucky stood to one side and watched as she sat on the edge of her bed. He made no move to sit by her though—not until she patted the spot next to her.

"You're making me nervous, just standing over me," she explained. "You're so damn tall…I'm getting a crick in my neck just looking at you."

He laughed as he sat down. "Yeah, you are a little on the short side, aren't you?"

"I can't help the fact that I'm vertically challenged."

"Well, hey, good things come in small packages, right?"

She nodded. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

He grinned—a full-on white teeth grin—and her stomach exploded into a thousand butterflies. "You should."

They stared at each other for a moment as the tension between them climbed to new heights. Bucky leaned forward and smelled the air in front of her.

"Have you been drinking again?"

She held up a hand. "I only had two drinks! And I would say I've earned them after the week I've—we've—had."

"Absolutely," he said. "That's actually why I'm here…"

"To…give me an intervention?" she asked slowly.

He laughed again. "No, not at all. You have every reason to indulge, especially with this job. No, I'm here because I want to thank you for taking care of me this week."

"Oh, um, you're welcome. I really didn't do much though. I mean, Steve would have done the same thing." She twisted her hands in her lap and shrugged.

"Maybe, but I have to admit that I prefer your touch and it was much more enjoyable having a beautiful woman by my side…"

Goosebumps broke out across her skin at his declaration. She finally looked up from her hands and into his deep cobalt eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest and she wondered if there was any air left in the room. She blinked and closed the space between them, touching her forehead to his, then their noses. Bucky reached up and grazed her shoulder with his fingertips as his mouth swept softly over hers.

"What are we doing, Maddy?" he whispered against her parted lips in between kisses.

"What we should have done two weeks ago," she replied, raking her fingers through his thick hair and scooting closer to kiss him harder.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me and leaving some lovely reviews! (And thank you for pointing out the semi-feeling in Bucky's arm. I went back and changed that!) The moment is finally here so I won't waste time. My song choices for this chapter were "Force of Nature" by Bea Miller and "If I Lose Myself (Acoustic)" by OneRepublic.**

 **I hope you enjoy it and happy holidays! :)**

* * *

Her words broke him. He gathered her into his lap, his hands grasping her backside as she straddled him. She rose up slightly and he dragged his lips down her jaw and the column of her throat. His facial hair was abrasive, but she welcomed it, so glad to finally have him this close. She dipped her head and kissed him again. She couldn't get enough—needed to feel the heat of his mouth on hers.

Bucky turned and laid her out on the bed. He pushed up the bottom of her tank-top and pressed his lips against the bare skin of her stomach. She cradled his head in her hands and closed her eyes on a sigh. He worshiped her body with his lips, occasionally tasting with his tongue.

"James…" she whispered, his name a plea. Her hips bucked and he appeased her by rubbing the outside of her thighs with his large hands. His fingers pressed into her soft flesh and massaged the muscles underneath. When he reached the top of her shorts, he peeled them off, grazing her legs as he went.

Madison didn't hesitate as she yanked up on the hem of his long-sleeve shirt, moved it over his head and tossed it aside. She'd seen him shirtless two weeks before, but that experience was nothing like this. This time she could actually touch him. She slowed their pace by caressing his chest and abdomen with her curious fingertips. He took a deep breath and looked down, watching her. Gently, she traced the spot where scar tissue met metal. So badly she'd wanted to touch it before. Now that she could, she took her time.

Apprehension flashed in Bucky's gaze and her hands stilled. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked.

"Shouldn't that be my line?" he joked, but the smile didn't meet his eyes.

She held her breath as she tried to read him, then said, "Seriously, are you okay with this?"

He was quiet for a few seconds. He glanced at her hand again where it rested against his chest and shook his head. "How can you touch me?" He held up his metal arm and looked at it in disgust. "I'm not—"

"Normal?" she interrupted. "Tell me, if I was missing an arm, would you still want me?"

He frowned at her. "Of course."

"Then don't ask me shit like that," she said with a smirk, sliding her hand up and down his sleek arm. She watched his body relax as he exhaled a shaky breath. "Can you feel that?"

He shrugged. "Not really."

"Close your eyes."

Bucky did as he was told and she began to slowly rub his opposite arm, mirroring her actions so that he could imagine the feeling in both. She saw his jaw jump, then his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. Her fingers followed the contours of his arms, learning their sinewy shape.

"Can you feel it now?" she asked, urging him to dig deeper into his memory and senses.

He drew in a breath, then exhaled. Opening his eyes, he simply looked at her.

Blushing under his intense gaze, she finally whispered, "What?"

A hint of a smile pulled up at the corner of his full lips. "Nothing."

When he continued to stare at her, she asked again, giggling, _"What?"_

With the utmost honesty, he said, "You are so beautiful… And there are other things I'd like to feel than just your hands on me."

He skimmed his metal hand down her stomach and beneath her underwear. His smooth fingertips stroked the delicate nub at her center, drawing out an appreciative mewl. The feeling reminded her of the little pocket vibrator she carried on long trips, but before turning it on of course—Bucky didn't have the vibrating feature. That was okay, though. It still felt damn good.

He then dipped a finger into her and she gasped at the cold sensation, her hips lifting off the bed. His other hand grasped her side to steady her as he continued to probe her.

"I can feel your warmth around me," he whispered on a ragged breath.

She attempted to meet the thrusts of his hand and fought to hold back a moan—she was never sure who was listening in this place. Bucky quickly moved his other hand up her side, his warm flesh heaven against her own. He pushed up her tank-top, exposing her bare breasts to him. He looked almost pained at the sight, but didn't waste any time in settling his hot mouth over one pebbled nipple.

Madison did cry out then and hoped it wasn't as loud as it sounded to her. She strained against his hungry lips and teeth, still writhing under the relentless torture from his metal hand.

"You're perfect," he murmured against her damp skin, and attacked her once more with his mouth.

"I need you, James. I need you inside me," she begged.

"I am inside you," he responded with a smirk, his voice velvety and deep.

"No," she tried to say, her breath hitching when he nipped the tender underside of her breast. "I want you." To further demonstrate she reached down and firmly closed her hand over the bulge in his jeans.

"Jesus," he breathed, the action stopping him in his tracks.

"I prefer when you call me Maddy," she retorted with a smile.

With his darkening gaze on her, she lifted her tank-top over her head and discarded it. She liked taking the control from him, and yet just as fast he managed to wipe the smile off her face when he took her underwear in his hands and tore the fabric like it was made of tissue paper. His eyes wandered over her naked body, admiring every curve and inch of pale skin.

She hated how easily he could leave her breathless.

Even more so when he began to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. He shifted to stand by the bed as he removed everything on his bottom half in one fell swoop.

With her heart in her throat, she was suddenly more nervous than ever before.

The man was magnificent.

He was gorgeous doing regular tasks in his regular clothes, but to see him standing over her without a speck of clothing...

He gave all these gods a run for their money.

Ignoring her gaping, Bucky moved over her once more and pushed apart her thighs, settling his strong hips between them. Her gaze never left his as he pushed into her, filling her completely. Her lips parted at the delicious sensation.

Bucky allowed her a moment to adjust, but knew he needed it just as much.

"God...Maddy," he choked out. She was so soft and hot around him. His steadfast arms, framing her face, began to tremble slightly. It would take everything he had not to lose it and finish the task in seconds.

"James?"

He realized he had shut his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.

"Are you okay?" she murmured.

He lifted his head and managed a smile. "Let's just say, it's been awhile for me..."

"That's okay. Me, too..."

He chuckled. "So the last time you did this was 1943?"

"Oh...wow. No, uh, I guess not. I just thought you...had... Nevermind. Do you...need me to do anything?"

Bucky purposely stared into Madison's worried eyes as he rolled his hips, drawing a gasp from her.

"I just need you to enjoy this as much as I'm going to."

Before she could answer, his mouth crashed down onto hers. He rolled his hips again, letting himself be absorbed into her liquid heat over and over. He couldn't get enough of it, enough of her. He tasted her lips, her tongue. He brought his non-metal hand down over her shoulder to her breast. He tweaked and kneaded, caressed and teased—all the while working her over with his relentless hips. He lifted his head to watch her face contort with pleasure—pleasure he had caused. He only had a moment to relish in it before she cried out and he silenced her with another scorching kiss.

When her spent body went limp under him, he knew he could finally give in and take what he wanted. He pounded into her, hoping to God that he wasn't hurting her in the process. He needed this. He needed this so fucking bad. More than anything in his long miserable life. He poured his seed into her and wanted to weep from that final release. Aftershocks rocked his body but he remained still, not wanting to leave this spot in her. So warm, so perfect.

Finally he lifted his head from the crook of her neck, afraid of what he'd see.

Madison smiled up at him, albeit, weakly, but it was enough to portray that she was satisfied.

"I'm sorry if—" he began.

She put a finger over his lips and replaced it with her mouth. She kissed him deeply, grasping his upper arms in the process. Bucky returned the kiss, lazy in nature but exactly what they both needed in that moment.


	11. Chapter 11

Madison woke up alone—just as she'd feared she would. A slight indent in the neighboring pillow, rumpled sheets, and the faint, musky scent of cologne was all that remained of Bucky. She wondered if he'd left because he regretted what happened the night before. He probably did. She wanted to. There were so many reasons why it had been a bad idea. She couldn't recall them, though. All she could remember was how it had felt to have his bare skin against hers; his hair fisted in her hands; their bodies as one.

She sat up and clutched the top sheet against her naked chest. She wasn't sure who she was hiding from—perhaps herself. She didn't want to feel embarrassed, but couldn't help it. He'd left, and that usually signaled something bad. They'd laid together afterward, expressing only good feelings for each other. What had she done to scare him away?

She wouldn't get any answers here.

Scooting to the edge of the mattress and standing up, she let out a groan. Her whole body was sore—much like that time she'd gone horseback riding across Ireland for a week. Knowing what caused her pain brought a ruddy blush to her cheeks.

 _James, you stallion,_ she thought with a wicked smirk.

Madison shrugged off the sweet ache and ambled into her bathroom. She freshened up with a warm shower and dressed for the day. She took one last deep breath before opening her door to walk down the hall. The long corridor brought her past the lab, where she could see in, immediately revealing Bucky in one of the examination chairs. Banner was drawing blood, while Bucky sat, unfazed by the poking and prodding at this point. He lifted his head, straight brown hair framing his face, and locked eyes with Madison. That was all it took for a delicious shiver to ripple through her veins.

He was perfect. And he'd been inside her only eight hours before.

Such a crude thought, but it was the first to pop into her head and, hey, it was true. She couldn't deny that it made her feel good, _desired_. She managed a weak smile and he returned it. That was a positive sign…right?

* * *

Bucky watched Madison walk by the lab, his gut twisted into a knot. He hadn't wanted to leave her this morning—he'd actually planned to stay—but remembered his daily ritual of going to breakfast with Steve. Whoever was up first would wake the other and they'd go from there. He knew Steve would be concerned if he wasn't in his room. So he'd kissed Madison's cheek and left, glancing at her sleeping form once more before he closed the sliding door. He'd lost part of himself in her last night and felt like he'd gained some of his humanity at the same time. Making love to a beautiful woman brought back memories of the old days—but it'd never been like this.

For one, he'd never been so reckless—although seventy years was a long time to go without thinking about taking precautions. It was no excuse, but it honestly hadn't crossed his mind. He'd been too busy trying to remember how to "ride a bike." Now he was desperate to talk to Madison—he just needed to finish with these damn tests.

"All right, you're good to go," Banner said, pressing a swatch of gauze to the crook of his elbow. The man taped it in place and Bucky tugged down his sleeve. "I think I've come up with something else to try. These tests will tell us if it's safe to go ahead—white blood cell count and whatnot."

"Sounds good. Thanks," Bucky responded and stood. He left the lab and headed for the kitchen. Madison had poured a cup of coffee and was in the process of retrieving a pan for her eggs. He glanced around and saw Sam chatting with Steve in the living room.

As subtly as he could, Bucky strode up beside Madison, rested his hand on her low back and said, "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The woman stiffened under his touch and barely met his gaze. "Sure…"

He guided her out of the kitchen, while keeping an eye on Sam and Steve, but the men hadn't noticed his presence. He wasn't sure where to take her, especially since he wouldn't put it past Tony to bug the whole Compound. That left one place.

Bucky punched the elevator button and they stepped inside. Madison sighed but didn't move away from him. "James…"

"Just wait," he said, not wanting a third party to hear this conversation.

When they made it to the first level, he led her outside to stand by the pool. He turned around and they looked at each other for a moment. Madison wore a white blouse, black pencil skirt and black pumps. His eyes lingered on her toned legs and then drifted upward.

"Don't look at me like that," she whispered, her voice breathless.

"Like how?" he asked. "Like a man who can't use his hands, so he's using his eyes instead?"

Her mouth curved into a smile. "Yeah, that."

"I can't help but look at you—you're beautiful," he murmured, reiterating what he'd said the night before.

Madison's cheeks flushed to a dark shade of red. Her lashes fluttered as she glanced away and bit the inside of her lip. Sucking in a breath, she finally looked at him and asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Last night… I want you to know that I don't regret it. But, uh, I didn't think to…you know."

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

He laughed a little, the sound uncomfortable. "You know, wear…protection or anything."

Madison's brows lifted when it dawned on her just what he was talking about. She then followed it with a smile and shake of her head. "You don't need to worry about that."

"But we…I…"

"I know. SHIELD takes those precautions for me. I get an injection once a month."

He scowled. "And it works?"

She nodded. "It's foolproof. Granted, I haven't had many times where I've needed it but it's good to have one less thing to worry about on this job."

He didn't stop frowning, but his shoulders dropped in relief. "Man, things have changed."

"They certainly have." She looked at him pointedly, giving a double-meaning to her statement. "I thought you had left because you regretted it. I'm glad to know that's not the case."

Bucky stepped toward her and took one of her hands from where they were nervously intertwining at her middle. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and tilted his head to meet her lowered gaze. "I don't know what this is or what it will become, but I can't just ignore it—least of all, regret it."

Madison's eyes appeared glassy in the bright morning sunshine and her smile at his words matched it. "Same here… Though I think we should keep whatever this is, between us. At least, for now."

"Fair enough." Bucky wove their fingers together, much like the night he'd held her hand in bed. A lifetime ago, he'd been a diehard romantic; a man who thrived off physical contact with a woman. Even after all he had been through as the Winter Soldier, he considered himself lucky to be able to experience it again—and on a much deeper level.

When he leaned in to kiss her, she pulled back slightly but kept holding his hand.

"Someone might be watching," she reminded him, and he nodded, their expressions disheartened. "But will you stay with me again tonight?" she asked, her large eyes hopeful.

Bucky smiled then. "I have a better idea…"

She slid him a suspicious look. "What…?"

He glanced over his shoulder at the shimmering pool. When he looked back at her, his eyes glinted with mischief.

"I thought you couldn't go in water," she said.

"Stark has assured me that it's okay. I mean, I have to shower, right?" he replied with a laugh.

Madison grinned. "Good point… Count me in, then."

Bucky squeezed her hand. "All right, doll. It's a date."

* * *

Madison went through the day on a high, her stomach exploding with butterflies whenever she saw Bucky. They kept their distance though, their excitement exchanged in small glances. She'd noticed that he'd called her doll again, just like when they'd attended Catesby's gala. Normally she would have nipped that right in the bud—certain endearments didn't do it for her—but the way Bucky said it… _God_. It stirred things in her that she hadn't felt in the long time…probably never, if she was being honest. And she knew it had to mean something for him, too, to say it. He'd been James "Bucky" Barnes, then the Winter Soldier. Now he was something in between. He probably questioned who he was; who he would be once Stark and Banner found a cure.

When Madison was on her way to the pool late that evening, Bruce stopped her in the hallway for that very reason. He knew she was trying to help Bucky through this process, so he was always happy to share updates.

"Hey, good news. His blood work came back and we can start the new procedure sometime next week. We just need a few more things before it can happen," he explained.

Madison smiled. "That's great. Do you guys think this will be the one?"

Bruce shrugged in his usual mild-mannered way. "We can only hope. I'd say he's been through enough."

"Absolutely," she said, her eyes sad. "Let me know if I can do anything to help."

Bruce nodded and continued on, allowing Madison to walk the rest of the way to the elevator. She made it down to the pool and crossed the lawn. Streaks of light cast from the Compound's windows and illuminated the shadowy yard. She'd made sure to disable the motion sensors before coming out, as the outside lights automatically turned off at eleven.

As she neared the pool, she heard the swishing of water and squinted to see Bucky's outline in the darkness. He threw her a charming grin and slicked back his wet hair. His metal arm gleamed for a moment and then disappeared beneath the surface. His muscled chest and shoulders rippled as he moved to the edge of the pool.

"Hey, there," he murmured, eyeing her with his sensual gaze.

"Hi," she said with a coy smile, and felt her heart flutter as she stripped, knowing he was watching. Left in just her bathing suit, she slipped in beside him.

Bucky turned toward her. "You've got something on you—" He gestured to her upper body. "Just here…" He reached over and pushed down the left strap, baring her shoulder.

Madison bit her tongue and pursed her lips at his not-so-subtle attempt to undress her. She glided forward, allowing him put both hands on her shoulders and push the straps down until her front was revealed to him. His hungry gaze devoured her and she had to resist the urge to cover up.

Hoping to distract him, she asked, "And what about you, Sergeant Barnes?" Her hands wandered below the water to feel the smooth skin of his hips and backside. Swallowing hard, she managed to say, "Oh, never mind" and let out a breathy laugh.

Bucky licked his lips and then flashed his perfect teeth. He leaned in to kiss her, sweeping his tongue into her mouth. All the while, he helped her remove the rest of her bathing suit, flinging it aside with a wet slosh. He tugged her closer and wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing them deeper into the black water—and each other.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you soooo much for all of the amazing reviews! You guys are awesome! Keep them coming! ;)**

* * *

Over a week later, Bucky was still waiting for the final word on his procedure. Madison had left for the afternoon—something about her monthly physical at SHIELD headquarters. He happened to pass by the conference room and found Banner studying CAT scans from one of their earlier tests. The doctor motioned him over.

"I was just about to look for you," Banner said as Bucky occupied one of the leather business chairs.

He spun toward the doctor and crossed his arms. "Please tell me you've got some answers."

"I do, actually. First off, I want to apologize."

Bucky scowled. "What for?"

"Stark and I have been keeping you in the dark for the past week. We thought we had something, but as far as we can tell, it's not the right thing."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember Alexander Pierce?"

Bucky flinched, but wasn't sure why. "The name sounds familiar…"

"He was the man who used HYDRA to infiltrate SHIELD; he brainwashed you, made killing Rogers your mission."

"That much I do remember."

"Well, I don't know if you necessarily remember this part, but he used a machine to wipe certain parts of your brain when you started to recall your past. Stark and I had planned to use the same thing on you now, but wipe away the Winter Soldier instead."

"Okay, that makes sense. Why aren't we trying it?" Bucky asked.

"We're afraid it would only be temporary. They'd used it on you before, and yet you remembered Steve."

He understood the reasoning behind their decision, but still found himself disappointed. "So now what?"

Banner glanced at the brain scans in front of him and sighed. "Well, it's obvious what we should do…but it's risky."

"I don't give a shit about the risks," Bucky muttered. "Do whatever you have to do to get rid of it— _him_."

The doctor blew out another tense breath and hesitated. "As long as you give us permission and know the risks…"

"Jesus, Banner, out with it."

"Brain surgery, okay? We go in and remove 'him,'" Bruce said. Bucky sat back and began to process it. "I know a neurosurgeon—he's one of the best in the world. If you give us the green light, he can be here tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll do it."

Banner laughed a little and turned up his hand. "Don't you want to think about it for a little bit?"

Bucky cut him off. "No. I've had more than enough time. Call your surgeon and set it up. I'm ready."

"Well, okay…I'll do that."

Bucky gave the doctor a grateful nod and headed back to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Madison came into the room and threw her bag on the couch. She turned around and jumped.

"Oh, hey! I didn't see you there," she said, smiling.

He returned the smile and filled another mug, sliding it across the counter to her. She thanked him and sat in one of the tall chairs. "How was your morning?" he asked.

"Good. Nothing I can't handle. What about you?" She sipped the steaming liquid and looked at him attentively.

He sighed before delivering the news. "Banner's calling a neurosurgeon. He'll be here tomorrow."

Madison's gaze darkened and she slowly set down her mug. "To do what?"

He couldn't look into her worried eyes and diverted his own, shrugging. "Operate—open me up and cut out the Winter Soldier."

"But, James…that's really risky."

"You sound just like Banner."

"Well, he's a smart guy. As are you, and you've been through a lot. If this is what you want to do, then I support you. Not that you need my blessing or whatever," she added with a nervous laugh.

"No, it's okay," he said, searching for her gaze now. "It does mean something to me…you, caring about what happens to me. I think Steve is the only other person…"

Madison shook her head. "You don't give yourself enough credit. So many people want to help—"

"Not in the way you do. You actually care about _me_ —Bucky…James. Stark and Banner just want to stop me from killing more innocent people. My death would mean nothing to them, except maybe 'peace'—one less threat."

She frowned and reached across the counter, covering his hand with her own. "They'll fix you, and you won't have to worry about that anymore."

Bucky nodded and they both fell into their thoughts for a moment. Then she said, "So would you like some company tonight? You know, help take your mind off things?"

He smiled and squeezed her hand. "Knock on my door at 10?"

"Sounds good," she replied, locking eyes with him for a short, sensual conversation.

Suddenly, Steve and Sam entered the room, the latter going on and on about something that had gone down at a bar the night before. The couple pulled back their hands and toyed with their coffee cups.

"What's up you guys?" Sam asked, looking between them.

They both shrugged and played innocent. "Nothing, what's up with you?" Madison asked.

That was all it took for Sam to launch back into his dramatic story, drawing smiles from the three listeners.

* * *

Later in the evening, Bucky retreated to his room to clean up a little before Madison came over. He took off his shoes and socks, then removed his shirt. He was about to start on his belt when there was a knock at the sliding glass door. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and the numbers read: **9:35**.

 _Huh, she's early,_ he thought to himself. _Not that I'm complaining…_

He walked across the plush carpet and slid open the door, squinting into the darkness. Oddly enough, he couldn't see anyone, so he stepped out onto the balcony. Someone grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth as they jabbed a needle into the thick column of his neck. He struggled momentarily, throwing them both against one of the windows. It splintered but didn't shatter. He felt his muscles relaxing, eventually giving way to darkness.

* * *

Madison finished changing into some fresh clothes, though she wasn't sure why she cared so much. The second she'd step through the door, Bucky would be taking them off of her. She smirked at the thought and experienced a zip of excitement in her belly. Anxious to see him, she hurried out onto their balcony, but hesitated at his open door. He never left it open…but maybe, she reasoned, he wanted to remove formalities and welcome her inside at her own convenience? She stepped over the threshold and her frown deepened when she saw no sign of him. His shirt lay in front of his hamper, so she wondered if he was in the shower, but quickly noticed that the door was open and the light was off. Turning back toward the balcony, she froze at the sight of the lightning bolt-shaped crack in one of his windows.

Rushing out of Bucky's room and down the hallway, she repeatedly slammed her fist against Steve's door until it opened. The captain stood before her, still in the process of pulling down his t-shirt.

"Madison? What's going on?" he asked, sleep weighing heavy in his voice. He always went to bed earlier than everyone else.

"He's gone. They took him…"

"Wait, who took who?"

She attempted to take a calming breath, but felt faint from it. "Catesby's men took Bucky."

He suddenly looked more concerned. "How can you know that?"

Madison sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "It just makes sense. We've been under house arrest for weeks. They've had plenty of time to set this up."

Just then, Steve's cell phone went off. He grabbed it from beside his bed and paused. "It's Sharon."

"Answer it."

He swiped his finger across the screen and hit speakerphone. "Sharon, you've got me and Madison. I think we have a situation…"

 _"Us, too. We have reason to believe that Bucky's in danger."_


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! Because I'm mostly accustomed to writing about the zombie apocalypse, please excuse any creative liberties I take in this story. Sometimes I have no idea what I'm talking about so I just make shit up. Hope you all are cool with that. I'm just here to have fun—not dwell on technicalities. ;)**

 **Warning: Some brief moments of torture in the next two chapters.**

 **On that note, uh, enjoy? Haha…**

* * *

Steve took a few seconds to send out a message to everyone in the house, calling for an emergency meeting. When they all converged in the conference room, he flicked his phone toward the big screen at the front, where Sharon suddenly appeared, her youthful face unusually drawn.

"Sharon, fill us in," the captain said, taking in the group's confused and curious expressions.

"We intercepted an encoded file that arrived in Catesby's personal inbox moments ago. After using our new decipher program, we established that it only said one thing: 'Winter is coming.'"

Sam chuckled. "What's the big deal? Someone's gettin' their GoT on."

Steve sighed. "Bucky's gone—someone took him—and this confirms it. Problem is we don't know where they're taking him."

Tony stepped forward, uncrossing his arms. "That's not necessarily true."

"What are you talking about?" Madison asked.

"I planted a tracker in his arm," he said as he walked toward the main computer.

Steve scoffed. "Seriously, Stark? What's the matter with you?"

Madison began to chime in but Tony interrupted. "Hey, before you go all Guantanamo Bay, you need to know that Barnes _asked_ me to do it." He brought up a world map and a blinking light appeared over the Atlantic Ocean. "And if I hadn't, you would have no idea where he is right now."

Tony had made a good point and they were pressed for time so Madison let it slide. Apparently Steve would too, because he asked Sharon, "Do you know where they are taking him?"

"We're working to track Catesby's current iP address but we know he was last spotted in Moscow."

Everyone became silent because they knew what was coming next.

"I've talked to the higher-ups," Sharon continued. "They won't authorize a rescue mission. We're on thin ice with the Russian Federation. Any provocation could be considered an act of war. Who knows how many people would die."

"And how many people will die if they activate the Winter Soldier?" Steve pressed, the vein in his forehead starting to pop.

Sharon didn't retaliate. She looked as defeated as they all felt. "They won't budge on this. I'm sorry, Steve…"

The man rubbed his face with one hand and let out a heavy sigh. "How did they even take him? This place should be locked up like Fort Knox." He looked to Tony.

The playboy tapped a few commands on his keyboard and shook his head. "They went old school."

"How so?"

He pointed at the screen, which showed a camera view of the roof and space above the Compound. "First they disabled the motion sensors. Then they took a recording of this security footage and looped it to play back on repeat. Catesby's got money and works for the government so he probably has access to a plane like ours, which is equipped with an invisibility shield." He briefly gestured outward with his hand. "They were in and out within a few minutes."

Madison touched Steve's shoulder and stared at him with desperate eyes. "Captain, we can't just sit here on our thumbs. Who knows what they're going to do to him. We can agree that it's not good."

Steve's pained expression gave Madison her answer before he said the words. "My hands are tied."

"That's never stopped you before!" she shouted. "Remember Bucharest?"

"Yeah, I do. I also remember how badly it ended. We're not above this. We have rules now."

Madison huffed out a breath and spun around to exit the room. " _You_ might…" she mumbled in the empty hallway. She pushed open the door to her room and began to change. She pulled on a pair of tight black pants, boots and a t-shirt. She attached her thigh holster and then slid on her leather jacket. When she turned around, Tony was standing in the doorway.

"Going out?" he asked, motioning to her change of clothes.

She clenched her jaw for a moment and then sighed. "I can't just turn a blind eye. He needs our help. Catesby is…" She swallowed hard.

"Yeah, we know he's a sick fuck. And lucky for you, I've never been one to follow the rules."

"But what about before? From what I've heard and read, you were eager to sign your name on the dotted line; to be kept in check by the government."

"That was different. We both know that Barnes is a threat—more than I think the 'higher-ups' realize."

Madison shrugged. "So what are we going to do?"

"Seriously?" he asked, eyeing her outfit. "You got all dressed up and didn't have a plan?" When she glared at him, he waved her away. "Again, lucky for you, I do. Follow me." He peeked into the corridor and pressed a few buttons on his phone. He then slipped out and she followed. They took the stairs to the roof and he hit another slew of buttons. Their plane appeared as he shut off the invisibility shield.

"Won't they see us leaving on the cameras?" Madison hissed, quickly trailing Tony to the plane's entrance.

"I didn't turn off the loop or reengage the motion sensors. I overrode the rest of the system for a ten minute window, so in other words, stop talking and get in."

Madison could feel her anxiety swelling, but did her best to push it down and lock her seatbelt with trembling hands. She hated flying, but Tony was capable—hell, he was Iron Man—so she chose to put her trust in him.

He took the pilot's seat and strapped in before lighting up the dash. When he pulled up on the small steering wheel, Madison's stomach dropped and she clutched the armrests until her knuckles turned white. Once they were safely in the air, the plane leveled out and she felt confident enough to release her death grip.

* * *

Bucky entered consciousness with a groan. His neck ached like he'd slept on it wrong for a week. Sitting up, he tried to focus on his surroundings, but the darkness went on and on. He felt around him, the cobblestone floor slippery and void of objects. He moved to his feet, shivering at the way his stiff, wet jeans clung to his chilled skin. When he stepped forward, he stumbled, the wooziness in his head taking over unexpectedly and mixing with darkness-induced vertigo. He felt along the floor until he reached a stone wall. Before he could stand once again, a blinding light flooded the room. The soldier shielded his eyes and waited until he could stand to look toward the source.

Bucky squinted against the glare and watched Thomas Catesby stride into the dungeon-like chamber, his pressed designer suit in sharp contrast with the grimy environment.

"Hello again, Mr. Sutherland—or rather, Sergeant Barnes," he said, pulling on a string to light up a bare bulb in the middle of the ceiling. Bucky flinched again, but was able to lower his arm. "Why don't you take a seat?" Catesby motioned to the lone metal chair beneath the light.

When Bucky didn't budge, two men, who had been hiding in the shadows on either side of the doorway, plodded across the room and seized him by his arms. He dragged his bare feet but it did no good. They dropped him into the chair and secured a vibranium restraint around each wrist.

Catesby stepped forward and bore into Bucky's gaze with piercing eyes. "You're probably wondering why you're here or, more likely, why you're still alive." Bucky remained quiet and diverted his icy glare. "You can trust that if I wanted you dead, you'd be six feet under by now. But no, that would be a waste—not when you have so much potential."

Bucky glanced at Catesby, fearing that he knew where this was going.

"I am _so_ close to achieving what I've set out to do, but you and your team of twats keep fucking things up. They need to be removed from the equation. And you're going to help me do it." When Bucky began to look away again, Catesby grabbed his chin and squeezed, forcing his attention back. "Tell me how to activate the Winter Soldier!"

Bucky blinked but kept his mouth shut, that was, until he took a second to spit in Catesby's face.

"You- you, fucking…" the Brit muttered with simmering rage. He motioned to the goons behind him. One man held out a metal bucket full of water and then both walked around to yank Bucky's head backward. They tugged a washcloth over the soldier's face and held it tightly so he couldn't move. Catesby poured the freezing water over Bucky's covered face, causing him to choke and gag as water entered his lungs. He pulled on the restraints and writhed in the chair, but nothing released.

Finally the bucket ran out of water. They took away the washcloth and Bucky flew forward, sputtering out ragged, wet coughs. Catesby grabbed a handful of his dark hair and yelled into his face, _"Tell me the trigger words!"_

"I don't know them," Bucky managed to say before launching into another coughing fit.

One of the henchman appeared with another full bucket and Bucky barely had a chance to prepare himself for round two.

* * *

Madison and Tony followed Bucky's tracker until they arrived just west of Moscow. He landed the plane in a barren, snow-covered field, while keeping their invisibility shield activated.

"The entire area is restricted airspace. We have a hanger in Latvia—I'll drop you off here, five miles out—and then wait for your call."

"Sounds good," Madison replied as she checked her weapons one last time and zipped up a white parka. He gave her a nod and lowered the exit plank. She jogged out and didn't stop until she reached the city.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you for continuing to follow and review! I'm adding another disclaimer here for torture. This chapter should be the last of it though!**

* * *

Bucky tracked the movement around him, but the black bag over his head impeded him from knowing exactly what was going on. He tested the restraints on his wrists, but they still would not budge. Shuffling and the sound of metal shifting about had his curiosity piqued, but whatever it was, surely couldn't be good.

"Anxious to see your surprise?" Catesby asked suddenly, making Bucky freeze. The bag was ripped from his head. "Ta da!" the man said with a sweeping arm gesture. From between the damp strands of hair hanging in front of his eyes, Bucky could make out Madison's slumped form in the chair across from him. His heart plummeted and blood pressure increased in concern over her unconscious state.

"What did you do?" Bucky asked, his voice sounding like it had been rubbed against a sheet of sandpaper. He followed it with a phlegmy cough, his lungs still trying to recover from the endless waterboarding earlier that day.

"Nothing really," Catesby said as he gently stroked Madison's silky hair. Bucky stiffened and flexed against the restraints once more. "She came here on her own free will. Well, sort of. You know what I mean," he said with a toothy grin. "She thought she could sneak in here and steal you back. Too bad she didn't know I had planned for that all along. So when we picked up an unknown cell frequency going out from here, well, a bop on the head and here we are." He demonstrated with a light tapping motion, even though they'd clearly hit her hard enough to knock her out cold.

Bucky glared at him, then looked to Madison, hoping she would open her eyes. He couldn't see any visible blood or bruising, so other than this "bop on the head," she was probably untouched. He was thankful for that but wasn't sure how much longer it would last.

"'Why, love, I say! Madam!'" Catesby asked Madison loudly, quoting Shakespeare. Bucky recalled the man doing the same thing when he had greeted her at the gala. When she didn't move, his voice took on a threatening edge. "'What, not a word? How sound is she asleep? I must needs wake her!'" he finished, and then struck her soundly across the face.

Madison jolted into consciousness, moaning in pain from the brutal throbbing in her head. Catesby slapped his hands together and she jumped. Her lashes fluttered open, but stayed as a squint under the severe lighting.

"She wakes," he said quietly, as if it mattered after all the ruckus he'd just made.

Madison raised her head, wincing at the slightest effort. She tried to lift her arms, but found that she couldn't move them. Leather cuffs cut into her pale skin, rendering the limbs useless. She finally saw Bucky across from her and all of the breath expelled from her body. His messy dark hair appeared to be wet and hung limply around his face. A deep gash cut through his brow and a jagged stream of crimson had dried well past his cheekbone. His bare chest heaved, shining with sweat under the bright light. Her gaze tracked down all the way to his dirty feet, which were also bloody.

"Agent Madison Clark, it's a pleasure to finally have you in our presence," Catesby said, distracting the woman from her physical assessment of Bucky.

She finally looked at the smiling man from under her furrowed brow. She flinched again when another wave of pain rolled through her skull. Nausea quickly followed it and she leaned over far enough to vomit onto the floor, a little bit hitting Catesby's shiny shoes in the process. He grunted in disgust and stepped back. Even though Madison felt like shit, she was glad to have removed the smile from his face.

"Jesus, Marley," Catesby griped at one of his goons. "How hard did you hit her?"

"Hard enough to make that totally worth it," Madison mumbled, and turned to wipe her mouth on the material covering her shoulder.

Catesby glowered at her and remained quiet. He then slapped her across the face once more, but going in opposite direction than before. She cried out and her head lolled back and forth as blackness crept into her vision.

For a moment Bucky thought she would lose consciousness again, as a concussion was certainly not out of the question here. He wanted to talk to her, hold her, absorb her suffering, but they were stuck in this and he had a feeling it would get a lot worse before it got better.

"What do you want from us?" Madison asked, barely above a whisper.

Catesby skirted around the vomit and motioned to one of the guards to clean it up. He knelt down next to Madison's chair and reached for her hand, holding it within his own. She tried to move it away but he held it in a death grip. Her gaze flicked over to Bucky and saw him clenching his fists. The couple locked eyes until Catesby put one hand on her cheek and forced her to look at him. She pushed a frustrated sigh from between her clenched teeth.

"Before I get what I want from him, I need to get something from you," Catesby said calmly, but with a hint of menace.

Madison swallowed hard, wondering what it could possibly be and hoping that it didn't end with her in a compromising position, like before. "What do I have that you could want?" she whispered.

He gave her a tender smile and it made her insides turn. Vomiting in his face might have been a fun idea, but with disastrous consequences, so she pushed it down. "You underestimate your worth, Miss Clark," he answered, squeezing her hand for a brief second. Then, he stood, walking between the two chairs. "Let me set the scene for you," he said dramatically.

Something about this guy and his obsession with theater. It made him appear crazier than Madison originally thought.

"Imagine a man and a woman, seemingly alone. They share a deep conversation about _family_ and _honor_. The world is offered in her eyes and he's ready to take it, _conquer_ it. But her 'husband' sweeps in and destroys it all! A connection that wasn't even real to begin with, though I beg to differ, _love_ ," he said to Madison, referring to the 'intimate' moment in his study before Bucky burst in. "The woman was a United States government agent and her partner was the Winter Soldier himself. Not an everyday occurrence, if you ask me. And when he started to become less man and more soldier, the agent said one word that changed everything. _Zhelaniye._ "

Bucky's eyes closed and Madison watched his body tense, his muscles rippling in dismay and straining against the shackles that held him in place.

Catesby continued, smiling at Bucky's expected reaction. "There are nine more words where that came from and _that_ is why you are here."

Madison gulped down her anxiety and met his piercing gaze. "I don't know the rest."

He held up his pointer finger. "But you knew the first word; therefore you are no stranger to what I am asking of you and I am inclined to believe that you are lying."

She shook her head. "I'm not. I was taught the first word to keep Barnes in check, just in case I lost control of the situation—which I did."

"But to teach you means that your organization is in the know. I want the rest of the words."

"Why?" she demanded. "For what purpose do you need the Winter Soldier?"

"Let's see, I could have control over one of the most deadly assassins in history while working to overthrow a monarchy? No, there's nothing tempting about that whatsoever," he replied with thick sarcasm.

Madison exchanged a fearful look with Bucky, knowing that this was his nightmare scenario. He didn't want to hurt anyone else. He was tired of the mind control, of being a liability whenever some power-hungry asshole needed a quick way to the top, or some "wronged" citizen craved vengeance. He was merely a pawn to them, but she knew he was still a human being with a heart that felt emotions beyond anger.

Catesby took her hand again and it drew her attention away from Bucky. "So, back to it…" he said, "give me the nine remaining words." She stared at him for a long moment. "The. Words," he ordered, and began to squeeze her hand to the point of discomfort. She gritted her teeth and kept her mouth shut. "Now is not the time for silence, love!"

She had been trained to handle torture—it was inevitably part of the job—so she did her best to clear her mind. She couldn't be scared of the unknown. She simply had to accept whatever happened next.

Catesby let go of her hand and stroked her pinky finger. Just when she was beginning to welcome the release in pressure, he wrenched her finger to the side with an audible snap. She cried out in alarm and pain, and then clamped her lips together to internalize it as much as she could. He wasted no time in breaking the next finger, earning a muffled shout from the young woman. She breathed heavily through her nose, her chest rising and falling in a ragged rhythm. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and she blinked them away, inadvertently allowing one to escape down her cheek.

Catesby swept his thumb across the drop of moisture and then sucked it from the pad of his finger. His eyes fluttered closed, as if he found pleasure in the taste of her pain. "Where are we at now, Miss Clark?" he murmured, opening his eyes to concentrate on her once more.

Madison refused to look at him. She kept her blurry gaze on one spot on the cobblestone floor, focusing all of her energy on pushing out the terrible pulsing in her hand.

"I'm talking to you, _agent_!" he yelled, hitting her across the face once more and then immediately breaking another finger. She tucked her chin to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering in agony. Her feet pressed into the floor and stamped a couple of times.

"Maddy…" Bucky mumbled, unable to watch anymore. He tried to meet her gaze but she seemed to be on the edge of losing consciousness again.

"'Maddy'?" Catesby asked on a laugh. "What an adorable nickname!" He looked between the two of them, taking in Bucky's angst-ridden expression, and paused. "Wait… Don't tell me… Did someone mix work with pleasure?" His grin widened. "Oh this is too convenient. You, good sir, just made this a lot easier."

Suddenly, one of the guards stepped forward. "Boss?"

"What is it, Marley?" Catesby asked with an exasperated sigh.

"The lady's phone. I think you should see this…" he said, holding up the illuminated screen.

Madison finally looked up and watched as Catesby moved toward the other man. They spoke quietly for a moment. Then, he turned around to retrieve a scalpel from the nearby tray of surgical tools, and pressed a firm hand to Bucky's non-metal forearm. The soldier struggled but the vibranium restraint wasn't going to budge.

"It's time for this to go," Catesby said, and dug the blade into Bucky's skin. Dark red blood broke the surface and Bucky groaned loudly, his white teeth clamped together.

Madison could feel herself breaking as warm tears dropped from her eyes. Catesby moved the knife back and forth until something breached the surface and he yanked it out, yielding Bucky's tracker between his thumb and forefinger. He dropped it onto the tray and used a cloth to clean his bloody hands.

Before he strolled back over to Madison, he picked up a pair of pliers.

Bucky caught his breath and said quickly, "Madison… Maddy…you can tell him. If you know the words, or how to get them, you can tell him."

She shook her head. "I can take it."

"Maddy—"

"I'm not doing that to you!"

Bucky sighed and locked eyes with Catesby, who was waiting with the pliers poised by her face. "If she gets you what you want, promise me that you'll let her go."

Catesby simply shrugged. "Done."

"But what about you?" Madison asked Bucky, the tears continuing to fall.

He gave her a weak smile. "You let me worry about me, okay?"

Madison blinked and pressed her trembling lips together, then said, "Okay…" She raised her gaze to Catesby. "I need a computer."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Wow, so many reviews! You guys are amazing. Thank you SO much for the kind words! They truly motivate me. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A cold, howling wind whipped around Madison as she opened her eyes. Lumps of dirty snow made an uneven horizon from where she lay on her side. For a brief moment she wondered where she was and what had transpired before this. Her last memory stayed just out of reach, and, as she tried to bring it forward, was rewarded with blinding pain. She brought a hand up to grab the front of her head but another lightning bolt of agony traveled down her fingers and into her arm.

"Argh!" she screamed, fighting off nausea as she pulled back her hand and rested it in her opposite palm. Three of her fingers were swollen beyond recognition and had turned a scary shade of blue. "Ahh fuck…" she groaned, feeling panic when she realized that she couldn't remember how it happened.

Using her elbows, she pushed herself to her knees, the world spinning around her in the process. She almost fell right back over when there was a sudden whoosh and the ground shook beneath her. Iron Man stood ten feet away, his hand raised to fire.

Relief swept over her. "Tony…"

His helmet retracted, revealing his concerned dark features. "Madison? Where's Barnes?"

She worked to comprehend what he was asking of her. "Nice to see you too…" she mumbled, "what are you talking about?"

"I was tracking Barnes—thought maybe you lost your phone and couldn't call for a ride." He flipped up his helmet once more and walked toward her. "Your front pocket," he said, then lost the helmet again.

With her uninjured hand she searched her pants pocket and came up with the tracker from Bucky's arm. All at once it came flooding back—the mental and physical torture. She gasped at the wave of pain that came along with it and started to fall forward.

"Woah!" Tony said, kneeling down to stop her momentum. He caught sight of her hand and his eyes widened. "Christ… Here, hold onto me."

Madison wound her good arm around his neck and held the other to her chest as he picked her up bride-style in his metal arms. For a quick second she studied their surroundings and acknowledged that they were pretty much where they had started: some barren field, most likely still in Russia.

"Hold on tight," Tony reminded her, and then launched off the ground. She didn't open her eyes again until he had landed and was walking on board their aircraft. He placed her in one of the seats and stepped aside to remove his suit. She thought it was amazing how he could just press a button and the whole thing would open like a blooming flower. "Tell me what happened," he said as he snatched a first aid kit from the galley.

"Catesby…he had Bucky, just like we thought. He must have been waiting for me though, because I had only made it to the outside of their building and then everything went black…"

Tony shone a penlight into her eyes and she flinched away from the painful brightness. "Yup, definitely a concussion. Just the look on your face—I thought you were gonna hurl all over my nice, shiny suit."

"I've already done enough of that," she moaned, faintly remembering the way Catesby had looked at her when she did.

"And _god damn,_ woman," Tony said as he gently held her upturned wrist. "What the hell happened here?"

"He broke my fingers when I wouldn't tell him Barnes's trigger words."

Tony immediately looked at her, his face like stone. "He wants to activate the Winter Soldier?"

She mirrored the man's expression and said slowly, "He already has…or, at least, I assume he has."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Barnes told me to go ahead and give Catesby the words, under the condition that I be released afterward," she explained.

"But how would you know them? I mean, Zemo had that old book, but I was assured by Everett Ross that it was destroyed, which, ya know, is probably a load of bull..."

Madison lifted her shoulder in a weak shrug. "Steve told me the first word, but that was all I knew. I, uh, logged into SHIELD and gave Catesby the back-up surveillance footage from that day. They may have destroyed the book, but not all of the evidence."

" _Shit_ ," Tony muttered, summing it up in one word. "We need to get back to the Compound, and _you_ need a doctor."

She adamantly shook her head but that only made her feel worse. Maybe Tony had a point.

"Yeah? How'd that feel?" he asked as her face paled. "Banner can help you out when we get back. Now strap in."

Madison tried to maneuver the seatbelt with one hand but the buckle kept flipping over.

"Ugh, let me," he said, gesturing for her to move her hands. He quickly clicked the belt and tightened the straps so they were snug against her chest. "Good?" She nodded just enough to not make her head swim. "Good." He put away the first aid kit and took his place behind the controls.

When they arrived back at the Compound, Tony helped Madison get to the lab—where they'd undoubtedly find Banner—but not before running into Steve.

"You know, Stark, I'm getting really tired of this shit," he stated, blocking their path.

Tony laughed. "Wow! Look who finally learned to talk like a big boy!"

Steve looked unimpressed. "I'm serious. Why is it so hard for us to be on the same page?"

"Uh, because you keep picking the wrong side. Or was that rhetorical?"

Steve opened his mouth to reply but Tony moved past him, anxious to get Madison to Banner. He could feel her growing heavier by the second as she leaned against him. Steve followed them in and was suddenly aware of her fragile state.

"What happened anyway?" he asked, and then seemed embarrassed when he inquired, "Did you find Bucky?" It was an admission that he'd failed his friend, and their so-called adversary had stepped up in his place.

Tony grimaced for a second. "Sort of..."

As he told everything to Steve, Madison laid back on their small hospital bed—basically a glorified gurney—and closed her eyes. Banner didn't waste time with questions. He simply listened to the exchange of information behind him while he took care of her hand.

Eventually she felt a touch on her shoulder and Steve's deep voice, "Hey…" She opened her eyes. "Stark is going to look through Bucky's files and see if there's another way to stop him. Sharon's been scanning for any reports of unusual activity between Moscow and London. I think Wilson and I are going to head that way. We're taking care of it, okay? Just rest."

She sighed. "I'll try. I just hate knowing he's out there, like _that_."

Steve nodded. "Me, too."

* * *

Madison woke an hour later to some kind of commotion. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus her bleary gaze on the group of people on the other side of the lab's windows. Steve and Sam had their guns out and Tony had his hand up, the Iron Man repulser covering it. They were all looking at someone who must've just come through the door. When Steve stepped to one side, she finally saw who it was.

"James?" she whispered in disbelief.

The blood had been cleaned from his face but the gash remained. He wore a similar outfit to his Winter Soldier uniform—something Catesby had probably provided for him. He looked around at the men with their weapons trained on him and said something, then glanced at Madison. She sat up and smiled at him, but he didn't smile back. She watched him shrug off Banner when the doctor, presumably, tried to check him out.

It took another ten minutes, but everyone began to back off and give Bucky some space. When the opportunity arose, he walked into the lab.

"Hey," Madison said, shifting slowly to stand. "How are you here right now? I thought…"

Bucky scanned the room as he said, "I'm good. It wore off."

"Oh, thank God." She smiled at him again and, knowing the area was clear, moved onto tip-toe to kiss him. His lips returned the kiss, but it felt wooden, like he was distracted. She wasn't expecting a shower of affection, but did hope for a bit more after what they'd experienced together. She wondered if maybe he was in shock or just trying to recover from the activation. "James, are you okay?"

His brow flinched for a moment and he appeared conflicted. He met her steady gaze. "I'm good," he repeated.

"Okay… Well, would you mind helping me get back to my room? I'm tired of being under these bright lights."

He nodded and leaned over to wind her arm around his neck. She was probably fine to walk on her own, but wanted an excuse to be close to him. He carried most of her weight as they made their way down the corridor.

Meanwhile, Steve spoke with Sharon and updated her on the strange turn of events. Suddenly, his phone beeped with another call. "Hey, I'll call you right back," he said, and then switched lines. "Hello?"

"Captain Rogers, this is Dr. Olivia Grant at SHIELD Headquarters in D.C. I need to locate one of ours—Agent Clark. I've been trying to reach her for two days. Any idea where she could be? She's not authorized for active duty."

"Agent Clark was...out of town. She just got back. And what do you mean she's not authorized?" he asked.

"She's there? I just called her phone and got no answer. It's imperative that I get in touch with her."

Steve frowned. "What's so urgent? As Clark's active SO, you're required to share important information with me, especially a non-authorization order."

The woman paused, then sighed. "It's a sensitive matter, Captain..."

"Well desensitize it for me."

After another long pause, she said, "Agent Clark has been placed on medical leave for the immediate future...because her tests came back positive for pregnancy."

" _What?_ "

"We aren't sure how this happened. According to our records, she received her last birth control injection. It's thorough. We've never had it fail...well, except...twice."

Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you talking about?"

"The only times it hasn't worked were when two of our agents had relations with people who weren't entirely human. One of them was an alien life form…and the other had altered DNA from experimental serums."

"Are you suggesting that I...?" He scoffed. "No. Agent Clark is a friend, but our relationship is strictly professional. I can assure you of that."

"Okay, I believe you, Captain Rogers, but really, there are more pressing matters, like where I can locate her," the doctor said sternly.

Suddenly, Tony walked over to Steve, snatched the phone out of his hand and said, "I'm sorry, he'll have to call you back." He pressed the end call button and tossed it back.

"Hey, what the—?" Steve began.

"Your pal has gone all Manchurian Candidate again and we can't find him—he's not in the common rooms or his own room."

"Whoa, what?"

Tony's dark eyes flared with impatience. "Vision dug up one of Catesby's recently updated files. It's called Operation Trojan Horse. Getting right to the point: Barnes is still the Winter Soldier..."

It all became clear to Steve in that moment—and he couldn't have been more terrified. "Madison..." he murmured, taking off down the hallway with Stark sprinting behind him. Steve didn't bother knocking. He kicked open Madison's door to reveal Bucky standing over her motionless body, his suppressed pistol pointed at her head as blood seeped from a bullet wound in her chest.

As he began to turn his gun on the two men, Tony spit out the word: "Sputnik!"

Bucky's failsafe.

The soldier dropped as he lost consciousness, barely missing Madison in the process.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I know you've heard this many times by now, but thank you for continuing to read and review! Your excitement keeps me excited about this story! I've got it planned to the end, now I just need to write it. Hah!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Steve and Tony sprang into action. The captain moved toward Bucky, verifying that he was indeed unconscious and wouldn't be reaching for his weapon again. He kicked the gun to one side and turned to Madison as the other man checked for her pulse. A long, tense beat of silence passed as they exchanged nervous looks.

"It's weak but she's still alive," Tony said, removing his hand from her neck and pressing both against the wound in her chest.

"Okay, help me out," Steve said as he began to roll Madison to one side. "Keep pressure on it." He exhaled a harsh breath and placed her on her back again. "There's no exit wound…that means the bullet's still in her."

Blood leaked between Tony's fingers and spread onto the floor. "We need to call SHIELD and get her to their hospital."

"SHIELD…" Steve murmured as his expression fell. Clearly something had just occurred to him—and it wasn't good.

"What?" Tony asked. When Steve only gave him a blank look, he demanded louder, _"Dammit, Rogers, what is it?"_

It almost looked like Steve wasn't going to say anything but, finally, he conceded. "She's pregnant."

Tony's wide eyes spoke for him as they stared at each other, the injured woman's lifeblood continuing to creep onto the carpet beneath them. Steve glanced at where Bucky lay unmoving, then back at Tony. Tony's mood changed from shock to anger in an instant. "Fuck," he muttered.

"Neither one knows though…" Steve added.

"All right, we'll figure it out," he said quickly. "We need some help in here!" he hollered to the others, and it only took a few seconds for Sam, Bruce, Wanda and Vision to rush through the doorway. "Vision, call SHIELD, tell them we need a helicopter right now."

"Wanda, get towels from the bathroom," Bruce instructed as he joined the two men by Madison.

Steve stepped back to make room for the doctor and saw Sam looking at Bucky. It probably wasn't difficult for him to put the pieces together. "We need to get him out of here," Steve said. "You know they'll hang him for this."

As usual, he was trying to come to his friend's defense, but Tony didn't need any convincing this time around. "Wilson, help Rogers get Barnes out of here."

Steve's head whipped around. "You agree?"

Tony rolled his eyes in impatience. "Take the plane somewhere where you know he'll be safe." He paused. "You know where."

The captain thought for a moment and then nodded in understanding. "Got it. Let's go," he said to Sam. They lifted Bucky's arms and put one over each of their shoulders.

"The helicopter is ten minutes out, sir," Vision said.

Bruce accepted a folded hand towel from Wanda. Tony lifted his crimson hands and blood coursed out of the wound in a pulsing rhythm. "This isn't good," Bruce said under his breath, but Tony heard it and felt his stomach drop. The doctor positioned the towel on her chest and told Tony to resume applying pressure.

There wasn't much to do but wait and hope that Madison could hold on long enough for the chopper to arrive. When it did, two paramedics came down from the landing pad and entered her room with a backboard stretcher in hand. Everyone stepped back to let them work. Once she was stabilized enough to make the trip, Tony led them back up to the roof. He started to climb into the helicopter but one of the paramedics stopped him.

"Sir, no civilians are allowed—"

"Hey, buddy—" Tony began as he bristled with hostility.

The other paramedic waved at them and yelled over the thumping of the chopper blades. "No, no, Dave, he's good! Sorry, Mr. Stark, he's new!"

The new paramedic looked horrified when he realized who he had insulted. Tony just ignored him and climbed in, not wanting to waste more time than they already had.

"Does she have any medical conditions that we should know about?" the first one asked as he secured Madison's stretcher.

Tony mentioned the concussion and obvious broken fingers. Then he remembered something else. "She's pregnant."

A little bit of color drained out of the man's face. Tony knew what he was thinking, because he was thinking it, too: _Probably not anymore…_

"How far along?" the paramedic asked, keeping the exchange professional.

"I'm not sure. I'd guess four or five weeks. She doesn't know yet…"

The man nodded. "Okay, I'll make sure the surgeon knows."

"Tony?"

He almost didn't hear the whisper, but somehow it cut through the background noise and grabbed his attention. He was alarmed to see Madison's hooded gaze staring back at him. He didn't think she'd heard what he'd just said though…hopefully. "Hey, I'm right here. You're gonna be fine." He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Where's James?"

Tony struggled to come up with the correct response. He now knew that she'd had some kind of relationship with Bucky, but was probably terrified of the man now. "He's not here. You're safe. No one will hurt you…"

"Is he okay?" she asked, her nostrils flaring in distress.

Tony couldn't believe she would ask such a thing in her current state. There was no doubt she was in shock. He didn't want to add to it though, so he said with a faint smile, "Yeah, he's fine."

She closed her eyes, apparently satisfied with his answer. He thought she had lost consciousness once more, until her eyes fluttered open and she whispered, "Tony?"

"Yeah? I'm right here." He squeezed her hand again as her grip loosened.

"I'm cold…"

He swallowed hard. He let go of her hand for a moment and whipped off his blazer. He draped it over her lower half and returned to holding her hand. At that point, her eyes had closed again.

* * *

Bucky opened his eyes and moved restlessly against the scratchy hay beneath him. He sat up, wincing at the throbbing pain that felt as if it would split his head in two. He massaged his temple and his hand stilled when he saw Sam sitting on a nearby hay bale and Steve standing next to him, leaning his large frame against a tractor wheel. A trickle of icy dread crept down Bucky's spine.

"This feels too familiar," he said, grabbing the other's attention. He was of course referring to when he'd been activated by Zemo and they'd helped him by hiding in an abandoned factory. He pushed to his feet and tried to swallow his fear of the unknown. "What did I do?"

Steve and Sam swapped a quick look, like they were questioning who was going to volunteer that information.

"Shit…" Bucky whispered roughly. "It's bad isn't it? It must be, or we wouldn't be here…wherever _here_ is…" he said as he took in the old barn's tall ceiling and worn boards.

"It is," Steve managed to say.

Bucky shook his head and shifted impatiently. "Come on, man. Tell me."

Steve sighed and met Bucky's frantic gaze. "You shot Madison."

Bucky didn't blink. He stood, frozen, as moisture made his blue eyes glisten. "Is she—? Did I…?"

"Last I heard, she was still alive."

He exhaled a breath and dropped his head, his hair shielding his face from view. Steve saw a single tear leave a wet mark in the dirt.

"It wasn't you," Steve said.

"It doesn't matter," he whispered in a strained voice, continuing to look down.

Steve crossed the space between them and squeezed Bucky's shoulder. "I know about you and her…" Bucky raised his head then, his limbo of emotions in full display. "You were only trying to protect her. You couldn't have known…"

"I should've. I should've known it was Catesby's plan all along. She was never safe. None of you were."

Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"

Bucky couldn't look at them as he said quietly, "I was supposed to kill all of you."

"Operation Trojan Horse," Steve said, nodding.

"Yeah, you know about it?" Bucky's question sounded hollow. He may have been talking but he could only think of Madison. How was she? Was she scared? Did she even know what was happening?

Before Steve could say anything, he asked, "Where are we?"

"Clint's farm."

Bucky frowned. "What? Why? We should be with Maddy. _I_ _need_ to be there for her."

Steve sighed at the pain in his friend's voice. _How to put this gently?_ "We're staying here to protect you. Madison's in the hospital because _you_ shot her. You and I both know SHIELD won't take that lightly."

The reality of their situation came crashing down onto him. He'd shot her. He'd fucking shot her. She could die and it would be all his fault. He pushed his hair back with both hands and blew out a breath before hanging his head once more. He wouldn't fall apart—at least not in front of them—but the aching in his heart made him realize that, in just this short amount of time, he'd fallen in love with Madison. His long life didn't amount to much, certainly not in a positive way, but she had given him a reason to keep going. There was more to life than death and destruction. He knew about friendship and family, but wanted his _own_ family. Steve was all he had—a brother in every way except blood, and at this point they might as well be. But he longed for something normal, boring even, if a meant a future with Madison. Maybe that future could include one or two kids…

Hah.

He almost laughed out loud but the sudden anguish in his chest stopped him. He'd shot her! There was no way in _hell_ she would even think of being with him now, let alone have a _child_ with him. What fantasy world was he living in?

He thought back to when they were being held by Catesby in Russia. He knew Madison wouldn't have given up the words if he hadn't asked her to. He just couldn't stand to see her tortured for one more minute. No, she would have _died_ before willingly betraying him, and there was absolutely no way he would have let that happen. Her life was much more important than his. But now she _was_ dying—and by his own hand. When had things become so fucked up? Oh yeah, it was when he'd fallen from a moving train and should've died, but didn't.

With a heavy sigh, Bucky tried to clear his head. "What do we do now?"

Steve shrugged. "We wait. Stark is with her. He'll call me if anything changes."

Bucky nodded in a subdued manner. Turning around, he began to slowly pace around the barn, allowing his brutal thoughts to resume.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: As always, thank you for reviewing! In this chapter and the next one or two, Madison will be having "dreams/flashbacks." They are not 100% historically accurate and will seem a little disjointed, which is what I'm going for. I hope you enjoy them! :)**

* * *

Tony waited. And waited. And waited some more. He'd flipped through enough news articles and stocks on his phone to make his eyes cross. At one point he received a text from Steve.

 _He's awake. Seems normal. Failsafe worked. He's asking about her. We all are..._

Tony wrote back: Good. No news yet. You'll know when I know.

Finally, a female surgeon emerged from the double doors directly in front of Tony. He stood up, rubbing his bleary eyes, and his back stiffened in protest.

Damn, he was getting old.

"How is she?" he asked.

The surgeon gave him a grim smile and his stomach flip-flopped. What did that look mean? "Agent Clark is stable for the moment. We were able to remove the bullet. But she lost a lot of blood... She's slipped into a coma."

Tony fought the thickness in his throat as he tried to process everything. He managed to ask, "And the baby?"

"Still alive, from what we can see. We're not even sure how..." she said in awe. "That baby is a fighter."

"Just like its mom," Tony murmured. He remembered their brief conversation in the helicopter. Despite his differences with Bucky, the man deserved to know that she'd asked about him—or would that just make Bucky feel worse?

"You'll be able to go and sit with her in a few minutes, if you'd like," the surgeon said, and then asked to be excused when her pager went off.

Tony was exhausted, in every way, but he wouldn't leave Madison alone. First though, Steve needed that phone call. Tony walked down the deserted hallway and stopped to get a coffee from the machine. The shit tasted like motor oil, but it did a hell of a job keeping him awake. He swiped open his phone and dialed the contact.

* * *

 _"Madison, come on!"_

 _Startled, the young woman looked around. An attractive brick building rose up from the sidewalk that she stood on. Cars puttered down the busy road behind her, their rounded, metal bodies appearing foreign to her. Men in uniform hollered to each other down the street, their Brooklyn accents heavy with each word._

 _"Madison? You coming?" someone called again._

 _Where the hell was she? Oh wait. The USO dance…_

 _She walked toward the window of a large bank, mesmerized by her reflection. Her dark blonde bob was smoothed into soft waves that framed her face, and bright red lipstick helped accentuate her pout. An off-the-shoulder white silk dress with a tight bodice and knee-length flowing skirt adorned her lean frame. She stared in awe until her reflection flickered, and for a flash she saw herself in a full-length red dress with a slit up the side. She blinked and the image was gone, replaced by the white dress once more. Someone grabbed her arm and she jumped._

 _"Hey! We can't keep these boys waiting all night!" Sharon said from beside her. The woman wore a collared navy blue dress and the same blood-red lipstick._

 _Madison smiled, forcing away her confusion. "Uh, yeah! Sorry. Let's go…"_

 _Sharon took her hand and practically dragged her into the building down the street. Posters plastered the walls, urging everyone to do their part to help win the war. They advertised Captain America and his regiment of troops. The man positioned next to him looked familiar, but Sharon pulled her away before she could get more than a peek. The entrance opened up into a large dance hall, where a live band played on the stage at the back of the room. A long bar took up one side, but it was hard to see past the throng of soldiers congregated in front of it._

 _"There you are," a man said from beside them, and Madison watched as Steve greeted Sharon with a kiss on the cheek. He wore his full captain's uniform: pressed slacks, tie, brown jacket, pins and all. She'd only seen pictures of him like this—he looked quite handsome._

 _That thought was gone when someone put their arm around Madison's waist and whispered in her ear, "Ten hours has been too long to go without you—how will I survive ten months or more?"_

 _Her gaze whipped around to land on a man who simply took her breath away._

 _Bucky lightly licked his lips and let his sparkling eyes roam over her. "God, you're beautiful…and you're all mine," he said with a charming smile. Before she could respond, he lifted her left hand and kissed the back of it, alerting her to the fact that they were both wearing gold wedding bands._

 _Once again breathless, she simply took in his appearance, which was quite similar to Steve's. Bucky also wore his officers' uniform, complete with the peaked cap tilted across his short hair. She had never seen this Bucky. He was…different. Polished. She reached up and touched his freshly shaved face. Letting her hands wander down to his tie, she took a moment to straighten it. Satisfied, she rested both hands on his chest and gave him her best smile._

 _He had been observing her with curiosity, but when she smiled, he immediately returned it. She opened her mouth to speak and was interrupted by Steve._

 _"Let's get these ladies a drink," he said, patting Bucky's shoulder. The sergeant nodded._

 _Madison watched him go and wondered why she felt cold in his absence. Then Sharon stepped in front of her, blocking her view._

 _"What's that on your hand?"_

 _Madison glanced at the ring on her finger and experienced another zing of excitement in her chest. "We got married this morning," she answered, barely audible over the big band music._

 _Sharon squealed and threw her arms around Madison. "Why didn't you tell me?"_

 _Madison shrugged, not really sure herself why she didn't tell her best friend. "I guess I wanted it to be a surprise… Surprise!"_

 _They both laughed. Sharon turned to watch Steve as the two men started to make their way back across the room, a drink in each hand. "I don't know why he didn't ask me. I would have said yes…"_

 _Madison offered her an uplifting smile. "There's still time. The night's not over."_

 _Sharon's expression fell. "Well it would have to be tonight, what with them leaving in the morning…"_

 _Before Madison could process that, she was distracted by two women who seemed to be ogling her husband. When he passed the smiling women, one of them said, "Hi, Bucky…"_

 _He gave them a tight smile, followed by a curt nod. "Ladies." Finally reaching Madison, he handed over her full glass. "A drink for my best girl," he said, giving her a stunning grin._

 _Madison took it and eyed him over the rim. "I hope I'm your only girl."_

 _He shook off the exchange with the women behind him. "Of course, doll. I've only got eyes for you." The man sounded sincere, as if they were the only two people in the world at that moment, and that was enough for her._

 _Suddenly, everything flickered again and Madison blinked it away. Bucky was pulling her out onto the dance floor._

 _"James, I don't know… I-I don't dance," she stammered._

 _He shot her an incredulous look. "You don't like dancing?"_

 _"I didn't say that. I said that I_ don't _dance. I'm…really bad at it."_

 _"With a body like that? I don't believe you," he said, causing her to cheeks to redden. He pulled her into his solid embrace. "We'll start slow." Everyone on the dance floor kept pace with the band's upbeat song, but Bucky held her against him, swaying in a lazy circle._

 _"We look stupid," she protested, glancing around._

 _He smiled softly, his eyes never leaving her face. He touched her chin and urged her to look at him. "It doesn't matter what they think. They're probably just jealous anyway."_

 _"Because I have you?"_

 _He grinned. "Well, there is that. But I was going to say that you're the most beautiful woman here…" He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her lips. "My wife."_

 _She met his sensual gaze and saw a promise of what was to come later that evening. And she was sure about that, because he didn't know what she had planned for them once they left._

 _Then those thoughts were gone. She was spinning, spinning, the silk dress swirling around her. Bucky brought her into his arms again, his chest to her back. She smiled at him over her shoulder and then he spun her once more, returning her to their starting position._

 _He made a 'tsking' sound with his mouth as he shook his head in disbelief. "And you told me you can't dance."_

 _"I guess I just needed the right partner."_

 _His cheeks colored at her response and she had to suppress a laugh. She'd never seen Bucky Barnes blush!_

 _When the song ended, he asked, "Want another drink?"_

 _"No, thank you."_

 _He frowned. "You okay?"_

 _She nodded, her voice innocent as she said, "I have a surprise for you later."_

 _His brows came together for a moment. "And it involves you not drinking? I'm intrigued."_

 _"It involves me driving."_

 _"Oh really? How responsible of you. Can't we just get a taxi?"_

 _She shook her head. "Not where we're going…"_

 _He slid her a curious look, his eyes narrowed as a smile played at his full lips. She'd never seen him look sexier._

 _Then everything flickered again, doubling, tripling, as Madison lost focus. The room faded and went to black._

* * *

Steve clutched the cell phone to his ear, listening to the man on the other side. He glanced at Bucky and saw his friend anxiously awaiting word on Madison. Tony told him everything, but they both knew that it was still too soon to tell Bucky about the baby. It was a silent agreement, as they weren't able to have that discussion at the present time.

When Steve ended the call, Bucky tried to calm his racing heart and untie the knots in his gut. He honestly couldn't tell if they'd gotten good or bad news. When Steve just stared at him with a wary expression, Bucky felt his lips tremble and clenched his jaw to make it stop. Finally, he said, "Please don't tell me she's dead…"

Steve sighed. "She's alive. They removed the bullet and she's stable."

Bucky blew out a breath of relief. His brows pulled together as he chuckled softly in confusion. "God, Steve, you scared me. Your face…"

Steve still looked at him with the same sad eyes. Bucky's smile faltered. Steve said, "She's in a coma."

It was as if someone had punched him in the chest. Whatever air was left was pushed out and he thought he might suffocate from it. He wandered over to where he'd woken up in the hay, and sat down with his head in his hands. Steve followed him.

"They're doing some scans in the morning. We'll know more then. Tony's staying there tonight. He'll let us know if anything changes."

Bucky hated the idea of Stark being the one to sit with Madison—he wanted to be there more than anything in the world—but he owed the man some gratitude for selflessly helping her. Not to mention when Stark had saved her in Russia. The man was cleaning up his messes left and right. Bucky felt a stab of jealousy as he imagined Madison regaining consciousness, Stark by her side. She would be afraid: Where was she? Why had he hurt her? Was he locked up so he couldn't hurt her again? And Stark would comfort her with his charm and hold her hand, telling her that Bucky Barnes would never come near her again…

He didn't realize he had stood up until his metal fist impacted the tractor next to him, sending it fifteen feet across the dirt floor and into a stack of hay bales. The tractor's steel body held an indent from the impact of his fist. Immediately, the anger vaporized from his body. He shook his head, glancing at Steve and Sam. "I- I'm sorry. Shit… I'm so sorry. I'll fix that."

"Don't worry about it," a man said from the front of the barn. "It was already broken."

They all turned to see Clint and his wife, Laura. The woman held a full tray of food. Her hesitant gaze rested on the tractor, then Bucky.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

Steve stepped forward. "Ma'am, I promise it's safe to come in now. It's just…been a trying day—for all of us."

She nodded, giving them a sympathetic smile as she passed the tray to Steve. "In that case, I made up the spare room in the house, and the couch is free…"

"I'll sleep out here," Bucky said, his voice quiet.

Steve scoffed. "What? No, you're not staying in the barn like an animal—"

"Aren't I, though?" he asked, hating Steve's concerned gaze. He didn't deserve anyone's pity. Animals were locked in cages—at the very least that was what he deserved. He glanced at Clint and Laura, knowing their children were inside the house. Catesby found him once—the man could do it again. It was too dangerous to be here. He needed to take them all out of harm's way. "I should turn myself in," he said finally.

"No, don't even think about it," Steve said with apprehension in his clear blue eyes.

"You know it's the right thing to do. I don't want to hurt anyone else. I didn't want to hurt Maddy…but I did." His brain suddenly flickered back to that moment. He had felt the activation releasing its grip on him, but, as if on auto-pilot, he'd lifted the gun and pointed it at Madison's back. She'd turned around, looked at the gun, and then looked at him. She didn't say anything. He could see in her eyes that she knew he wasn't James, or Bucky, or anything in between. She'd simply looked at him and accepted her fate. For a moment he had fought it—he had lifted his finger off the trigger—but, like every time before, the darkness closed in again. He deserved to be locked up like the animal he was—or put down like a dog. Either way.

"We can talk about this tomorrow," Steve said, knocking him from his thoughts. "I'll stay out here with you tonight, and in the morning, if that's what you still want…I won't stand in your way."

Bucky nodded. He knew he wouldn't change his mind.


	18. Chapter 18

_Madison peered through the windshield, concentrating on the dark asphalt as it disappeared beneath the car's tires. Bucky's boyish laugh cut through the road noise and she felt his hand touch her thigh._

 _"So where are we going, doll?"_

 _"Somewhere…away…from here."_

 _He chuckled again. "Seriously, you're not going to tell me?"_

 _She bit her lip and smiled. "Nope."_

 _His hand slowly moved to her inner thigh and started to gather the silk material, drawing it upward. He leaned toward her and grazed his lips across her neck._

 _"James! Stop, you're distracting me!"_

 _His laugh was no longer boyish, but low and deep as it rumbled next to her ear. His tongue brushed the lobe and then pulled it between his teeth, biting gently._

 _"It's a surprise! Okay? Please…" The last word came out as a breathless whisper._

 _His amusement was clear when he said, "I love it when you beg."_

 _She shot him a quick look and he simply smiled. That was all it took for her insides to dissolve. She was surprised she could even drive at this point—she should have been a puddle in the seat. Looking back at the road, which had changed to dirt, she said, "We're almost there."_

 _He continued to stroke her bare thigh, causing her to shift about in the seat. His touch stoked a fire within her that radiated from her belly, to her heart, and then out to her fingers and toes. But that fire also left an ache—not just of desire—but sadness. He was leaving tomorrow. This could be their last night together. She loved him so much it scared her—this man, her husband, and, hopefully, one day, the father of her children…_

 _The road took on an incline and Madison accelerated to the top, finally parking at the edge of the lot. An opening in the trees allowed them to overlook the city, its bright lights creating a soft glow that reached all the way up to the clouds._

 _They sat quietly for a moment, taking in the sight. Then she said, "Isn't it beautiful?"_

 _Bucky turned his head and gazed at her. "Not as beautiful as you."_

 _Madison smiled, the action sweet and a bit shy. Before he could make a move, she reached into the backseat, picked up the blanket she'd stored there, and got out of the car. She walked to the grassy area of the overlook and spread out the bright red fabric. Getting onto her hands and knees, she straightened and smoothed until it was no longer bunched together. Satisfied, she sat back and watched Bucky approach._

 _The man stopped at the edge of the blanket. He stole one more glance at the city skyline and then looked down at Madison. His dark blue eyes shone brighter than any of the lights behind them or the stars above. He gave her a smile filled with love and lust—a sight that made her heart feel like it was going to burst._

 _Taking his time, Bucky removed his cap and set it on the ground next to the blanket. He came down onto his knees and reached for Madison's hand. She raised up to kneel before him and he took her into his arms, his mouth finding hers. She breathed him in as her fingers threaded into his hair and gently clawed at his scalp. Bucky caught her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged, and she let out a small moan._

 _When he pulled back, his hands started up her thighs once more until he found the cotton material covering her most private parts. He pulled it down her legs, helping when it got caught up in her heels. Then, he rested his hands on her waist and watched as she worked free the buttons on his officers' jacket and undid his tie. Once the scrap was removed from his neck, she opened the top of his pressed shirt, revealing the firm chest underneath. She moved her fingertips over his warm skin and stopped to trace a heart just above his own, which beat with a ferocity that she could feel right through his chest._

 _Moving a little more quickly now, Bucky pulled down the zipper on his pants and then grasped the back of Madison's thighs. He sat back, taking her with him until she straddled his lap. He freed himself from the tight confines of his underwear before easing her down onto him. She gasped against his parted lips as he slowly penetrated her. With a firm grip on her backside, he lifted her and then slid inside again._

 _Madison looked at her husband—a man so handsome, so loving—and simply admired him as they became one in body, heart, and soul._

* * *

"Do you want to tell me about Operation Trojan Horse?" Steve asked, his voice grating and unusually loud in the darkness.

So he wasn't sleeping either. Bucky had been awake almost the entire night, just letting his mind go over everything again and again. He'd stared at the barn ceiling, not really seeing the beams—mainly Madison and the look on her face when he'd so ruthlessly put a bullet in her chest.

"Not really," Bucky replied, but they both knew he'd talk about it anyway.

"When I found out, we didn't have time for specifics. What was Catesby's plan?"

"After the activation, he wanted to execute that operation first. He wanted the Avengers and their affiliates out of the picture. Then, he wanted me to return to London and get started on overthrowing the monarchy, one assassination at a time. I don't think he anticipated the activation period being so short, though. I mean, do you remember when Zemo did it? It didn't even last for an entire day. But I did get knocked out when the helicopter hit the water." He frowned in thought. "Did you hit me this time?"

Steve sat up from his sleeping bag in an adjacent hay pile, saying, "Stark found your failsafe word."

"I wondered if that was what had happened. It doesn't matter anyway—the activation was starting to wear off. Of course, neither did Madison any favors."

They brooded in silence for a couple of seconds, then Steve said, "You were going to shoot her in the head, Buck. The failsafe stopped you from killing her."

Bucky fought the tightness in his throat and shook his head. "I barely remember that…" He looked at his friend. "I can't keep doing this. I know you don't agree with me, but I need to turn myself in."

Steve sighed. "I've been thinking about it and I understand why you want to… Just can't say I like it."

"So tomorrow morning you'll take me back to D.C.?" Bucky's voice sounded hopeful, but inside he didn't feel that way.

"I will…but I need to make some calls first. I have an idea."

* * *

Tony pressed on his earpiece to make sure it was secure. He peeked into the ICU corridor and said quietly, "All clear."

Steve exited the stairwell to Tony's left and Bucky slipped past them. Tony closed the door, remaining in the hallway with Steve. As they appeared to conduct a casual conversation, Bucky took off his black baseball hat and approached Madison where she lay in the hospital bed. He and Steve had stopped at the Compound for the moment, allowing him to change into his regular clothes. He'd also sneaked into Madison's room via the balcony and grabbed something from her nightstand. He'd done his best to avoid looking at the large dried blood stain on her floor, so angry and red against the muted gray carpet. Nevertheless, his stomach had churned at the sight, quite like it did now as he took in her frail state.

Moving closer, he sat in the chair by her bed and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out her battered copy of _Jane Eyre_ , the item he'd retrieved from her room.

"I don't have a lot of time," he murmured, his eyes studying her pale face, hoping for a flicker of acknowledgement—but got nothing in response. "Otherwise, I'd read you more… I know you told me that you like to read this when you're scared. I don't know if you feel that way right now." He dropped his gaze. Clearing his throat, he said under his breath, "I know I do…"

After taking a brief moment to compose himself, he opened the novel to one of her bookmarked pages, figuring that is was one of her favorite parts. He read for ten minutes, wishing that every time he turned the page he could keep going.

Another five minutes passed and Bucky knew he was pushing it. Closing the book, he set it on the table next to her and leaned close to take her uninjured hand within his own. His sparkling eyes moved over her as he fought to swallow the heartache and anxiety that threatened to drown him.

With absolute tenderness, he lifted her hand and touched his lips to the back of it. Then, he rose and pressed another kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Maddy… I'm so sorry," he whispered.

As he started toward the door, Steve pushed it open and stood in the doorway. "It's time to go. The neurosurgeon and his team are ready for you downstairs."

Bucky blinked away any remaining moisture in his eyes and stole one last glance at the unconscious woman behind him. When he looked back at Steve, he spoke without an ounce of enthusiasm. "Let's do this."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed! Your interest in this story keeps me motivated!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _*Knock, knock, knock.*_

 _Madison jumped, blinking, as she turned her head to take in her surroundings. A quaint kitchen with lacy white curtains, white cabinets, and red linoleum counter-tops encircled her. Bright sunlight streamed in through the window in front of her, highlighting where her hands were submerged in a sink full of bubbles and dirty dishes. She removed her hands and wiped them on the apron around her waist. She then untied the apron and set it on the counter._

 _The knocks came again and she moved through the doorway, down the hall, to her front door. A sheer curtain covered the glass pane but she could make out the shape of a tall man in a brown uniform. She gasped._

He's back.

 _Walking faster, her heels clicking rapidly on the wooden floor, she whipped open the door. Her wide smile froze but her chest continued to move up and down as her heart raced. Steve stood before her, a faint smile gracing his handsome face. Madison tried to peer around his large frame, hoping that maybe Bucky was playing a trick on her like he used to do sometimes. She only saw the military truck parked at the end of her walkway. Her smile fell away._

 _"Don't say it…" she whispered, swallowing the burning fear that had started to rise up in her throat._

 _Steve's lips parted, but nothing came out. It was as if he couldn't say the words. Suddenly, something tugged at Madison's skirt and his gaze dropped to whatever it was. His smile returned, a bit brighter than before. "Hey, J.J. You got so big!" he said softly._

 _Madison looked down and saw a small boy with big blue eyes. Chestnut hair stuck out from underneath his black baseball hat, which was adorned with a red star. Something about the symbol struck her as odd, but she couldn't say why._

 _Patting the boy's shoulder, she said, "James, this is your Uncle Steve. Can you say hi?"_

 _James Jr. tucked his head behind her skirt once more, but peeked out to give Steve a small wave._

 _Steve grinned and waved back, asking Madison, "How old is he now?"_

 _"He'll be two next month…" she replied, and then shooed him away. He toddled into the living room and began playing with his toy motorcycle. When she looked back at Steve, her eyes glistened. "Please tell me he'll get to meet his father."_

 _Steve gulped, his Adam's apple visible. Tears reflected in his own eyes. She had already begun to shake her head when he said, "We were on a mission to capture a high value target. Hydra knew we were coming—they ambushed us. Bucky protected me…he knew how important the mission was…"_

 _Madison's lips trembled when she asked, "How?"_

 _Steve's gaze cast downward, perhaps revealing the shame that he felt. "The train door blew open. I tried to grab his hand—"_

 _"How?" she asked again, firmer this time as tears slipped down her cheeks._

 _"He fell."_

 _Madison closed her eyes, causing more tears to drop. She struggled to hold in the sob, but it couldn't be stopped. She cried out, her body trembling violently. Using one hand, she braced herself on the doorway. Her other hand clutched the terrible ache in her chest. The pain worsened even more and she wasn't sure if she could keep standing. Glancing down, she watched as crimson saturated her blouse, bleeding outward from her breaking heart._

 _"You and J.J. were everything to him. He couldn't wait to come home and be with you both. It was all he ever talked about…" Steve said, seeming oblivious to the literal pain that she was in._

 _She tried to speak but it was futile—the pain was just too great._

 _"It's time to go," he said now. "The neurosurgeon and his team are ready for you downstairs."_

 _Madison stared at him in confusion, still clutching her festering wound. Then she heard Bucky's voice and knew there was still hope._

 _"Let's do this."_

Madison's eyelids were so incredibly heavy, but she fought the weight, forcing them to open and focus in the dimly lit hospital room. Her lashes fluttered, threatening to close again. But then she saw Tony. He had just walked in from the hallway and was beginning to take his phone out of his pocket. He paused though when he saw that Madison was looking at him.

"Hey! Hey…you're awake," he exclaimed, but kept his voice soft. He glanced at the closed door for a moment, as if he were thinking about something. Directing his gaze back to her, he still seemed distracted as he came around the bed. "How do you feel?"

She gestured weakly at her mouth. "Thirsty."

"Yes, right," he said, and turned to get the plastic cup by her bed. He twisted the straw around and held it out so she could take a few sips.

When her mouth no longer felt like the Sahara, she licked her lips and mumbled, "My chest hurts…" She tried to look down but could only see a giant bandage under the spaghetti strap of her tank top. A sling had been placed around her neck to support her injured fingers and, presumably, take pressure off her wound. "What happened?"

Tony clasped his hands together, sat down, and sighed. "You got shot."

Her eyes darted back and forth, staring at the bed's coverlet as she attempted to remember. "Who?" When Tony didn't answer, she looked at him and asked again, "Who shot me? Was it Catesby?"

Tony winced with a slight shrug. "Kinda…"

"What the hell does 'kinda' mean?"

"Madison…there are things you need to know right now. Some are more important than others. That one is low on the list."

She studied his conflicted expression, not liking where this was going. "Then fill me in, Tony. What's priority number one?" Her voice was still raspy but growing stronger with every word.

He forced himself to look into her eyes as he said, "The fact that you're pregnant."

Madison gaped at him. Fear and joy battled inside her, but, ultimately, confusion topped them both. "H-how? How is that even possible?"

"You slept with Barnes, right?" When she gaped at him again, he said, "Yeah, I know about that. Not sure if it was one time or an ongoing thing—not really my business—but, as I'm sure _you_ know, all it took was once. The doctor explained it to me. Basically it boiled down to super-soldier sperm… Try saying that three times fast."

She ignored Tony's ill-timed humor and looked down at her stomach. Covering it with her hand, she could not believe she was carrying a part of Bucky—a life they had created together. Out of love? Definitely. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved him. And she was fairly certain he loved her back. It was in his eyes every time they laid in bed together or simply passed each other in the hallway. But how would he react to this news?

Directing her gaze back to Tony, Madison asked, "What did James say when you told him?"

"He, uh, doesn't know yet. We thought it best to tell you first."

Madison nodded. Suddenly, she glanced around the room, as if just then noticing Bucky's absence. Surely he would not have left her bedside. Something had to be wrong. "Where is he?"

Tony grew silent once more.

 _"Where is he?"_ She felt like she was turning into a fucking parrot—so many repeated questions.

"Downstairs."

 _"Elaborate,"_ she demanded.

"You know, you look tired. Why don't you rest for a bit—" he said quickly as he stood to readjust her blanket.

"I've rested enough, Tony, please, just tell me where he is. If what you're saying is true…that Bucky is going to be a father, then he needs to know."

He blew out a defeated breath. "Fine. Barnes is going in for an experimental brain surgery. It's for those who have been injected with a serum that altered their DNA, so case in point. SHIELD has been working on it for quite a while now."

Her stomach clenched to the point where she felt sick. "I'm afraid to ask this…but why didn't we know about it before now?"

"Because it was never successful."

Madison let that sink in for about two long seconds and then started ripping out her IVs. "Get these off! Ouch! Dammit!"

Machines started squealing in alarm. Tony tried to stop her but she batted him away. "Madison—"

"Save your breath, Stark! I'm going down there with or without you!" She struggled to sit forward. With the use of only one arm, it made things a lot more difficult. She shifted her weight to one side of the bed and fell off onto her knees. She unleashed a string of curses and used her good hand to pull herself up.

"Goddammit, Madison, let me help you," Tony said, coming around to support her. He slung her arm around his neck and opened the door, peeking down the corridor. They could see a couple of nurses headed their way. He swung her around and headed in the opposite direction, which would lead them to the elevator. The nurses called out for them to stop but Tony just walked faster, practically dragging Madison the rest of the way.

When they reached the elevator, he pushed the down button. The nurses were gaining on them so he pushed it again. Finally the doors opened and they rushed inside. After hitting the 'close door' button multiple times, the doors shut just before the nurses could wedge their hands inside.

Madison sagged against Tony, feeling weak but determined. She heard him chuckle softly by her ear. "You just love making trouble, don't you? And somehow you manage to drag me into it."

"Nobody makes Tony Stark do anything he doesn't want to do," she murmured with a smirk. "And I'm pretty sure your middle name is Trouble—I read it in your file."

He gave her one of his trademark charismatic smiles, as if flattered by her statement. The elevator dinged and the doors parted. They hurried down the hallway, evading security and more nurses until they reached the right operating room. The first section housed a wash room with hip-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the OR. Through the windows she could see Bucky sitting on the table where a doctor appeared to be taking his vitals. He had changed into light blue scrub bottoms and a white t-shirt, which made his wavy hair seem darker than usual.

Madison hurried over to one of the windows and knocked on it until her legs started to give out. "James! Wait…" she said breathlessly, and leaned against the windowsill to stay upright.

Bucky raised his head and stared at her in disbelief. He pushed the doctor aside and slipped off the table, coming to stand on the other side of the glass.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey, all! I'm going on vacation next week, where I will spend my time swimming, drinking mojitos, and hopefully avoid turning into a giant lobster. I won't be anywhere near a computer so no writing for me... May will be a crazy month but I'll do my best to keep updating regularly. (I'm already working on the next chapter!) Thanks for sticking around with me! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Maddy…" Bucky said in awe. He seemed speechless as they looked at one another. She gazed into his eyes and felt her heart flutter like it had the first time they'd met. A small smile tugged at his lips and the pain in her chest was completely forgotten for a few moments. Finally, he asked, "How are you standing here right now? I was _just_ with you…you were in a coma."

She continued to sag against the windowsill and laughed softly. "Standing? Barely…but I had to see you. James, you can't do this—"

"You know I have to."

"No, you don't. We can find another way."

He sighed. "No, you don't understand. I _have_ to do this—it was the arrangement I made when I turned myself in. It was either this or jail…forever."

"Why would they put you in jail? Why not cryo? Not that I want that for you either…"

He blinked and then narrowed his eyes. "I _shot_ you, Maddy. I almost _killed_ you. And I was going to kill everyone else after that. Of course they'd want to put me in jail. I'm a criminal."

She shook her head and glanced down at the bandage. "I don't remember that…but you're not a criminal, James. The Winter Soldier may have done those things but _you_ didn't, and you're _you_ right now. I'm not pressing charges, okay? I forgive you. Really."

Bucky smiled sadly. The relief he felt was crystal clear to her, but he still appeared conflicted. "It means a lot to me for you to say that, truly, it does…but it doesn't change the fact that I did it. SHIELD is in charge here; they made their conditions. With _him_ in my head, I'm a liability. But if I survive this, they said that will no longer be the case… I'll be a free man." He chuckled, the sound uncomfortable. "Of course, I don't know what I'll do with my freedom…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.

"Well, where would I go? What would I do? I mean, surely you don't want to be with me. I nearly killed you."

She held up her good hand and almost fell. Tony caught her by the waist and helped her lean against the window again. "Seriously, James? Just stop." She took a second to catch her breath—the wound in her chest wouldn't stop throbbing—and then said, "I love you more than anyone or anything. Shooting me won't change that."

They both smiled. His gaze was soft, adoring, as he said, "I love you, too."

At his words, tears pricked behind her eyes and her throat constricted. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "So I need you to pull through this…" She swept her hand down to her flat stomach. " _We_ need you to…"

Before that, Bucky's eyebrows had been drawn together, his mouth tight with emotion. When she spoke those four words, his face wiped clean. His lips parted and eyes widened just a fraction. He didn't blink. He searched her gaze and, when he found it to be true, the breath he had been holding rushed out all at once. His smile wavered and dampness shone in his eyes.

Finally, he whispered in awe, "I don't believe it…"

Madison chuckled and followed it with a small shrug. "Welcome to the club. It's true, though."

Bucky still appeared to be in a shocked stupor as he sucked in a deep breath, his broad chest expanding. When he exhaled, he said, "Okay, now I can see why you were so concerned. But it gives me something to fight for…something to live for…" The last sentence was said quietly; for her ears only.

One of the doctors walked up behind Bucky and tapped his shoulder. "Sergeant Barnes, it's time."

He nodded and then looked back at Madison. A few tears had escaped from her eyes and he watched them fall, as if just his tender gaze could wipe them away. He put his large hand on the window and she brought her own up, splaying her slender fingers against his. Getting onto tip-toes, she pressed her lips against the pane and he matched it for one brief moment. She imagined the warm feeling of his lips, the taste of his kiss.

Pulling away—with much reluctance—she said, "Okay...I'm gonna get some sleep now…"

As her knees buckled, Tony swung her up into his arms and Bucky said, "Just make sure to wake up a little faster this time, okay?"

She smiled at him and took in his bright features while she still could—his eyes, his smile. Then, she said, "Likewise."

* * *

 _*Knock, knock, knock.*_

 _Madison jumped, blinking, as she turned her head to take in her surroundings: a red and white kitchen. Déjà vu weighed heavily in her stomach and made her head spin as she looked down at the dirty dishwater swirling around her submerged hands. Wiping them off on her apron, she then untied it and set it on the counter. Her hand stilled for a moment, grasping the worn cotton._

 _The knocks came again and, slowly, she moved through the doorway, down the hall, to her front door. The same sheer curtain covered the glass pane and she could make out the shape of a tall man in a brown uniform._

He's back… Or is he…?

 _She suddenly remembered Steve's face—sad, withdrawn, guilt-ridden. It had to be him…it was happening again. In order to brace herself, she placed a hand over her galloping heart and then opened the door._

 _Bucky stood before her. He removed his peaked cap, revealing a face that she almost didn't recognize. His jaw and cheekbones were more defined. His eyes were tired and a bit haunted, but they brightened the moment they landed on her._

 _"Hi, Maddy."_

 _She knew she would cry when she opened the door, but not tears of joy. She leaped over the threshold and into his arms, feeling his warm strength all around her. He smelled earthy, like dirt and sunshine, but with a hint of soap. She tucked her face into his neck and breathed in. But then he was putting her down. His embrace weakened and she slid down his front, coming back to balance in her high heels. She looked up at him, concerned as to why he put her down so soon. He was looking past her into the house. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw why._

 _James Jr. ambled toward the doorway, a bit hesitant to greet the man who was looking at him with such an abundance of love. The toddler no longer had a hat on, showing how his hair was parted and combed neatly to each side. They waited and he dared to walk a little closer. Bucky squatted down and held out his arms._

 _"Hey, J.J. I've waited a long time to meet you…"_

 _The boy hesitated, studying Bucky with his dark blue eyes, so much like his dad's. When he still didn't move, Madison said, "Honey, do you remember the pictures I showed you? The man you're named after?"_

 _J.J. nodded and took another step closer._

 _"Well, this is him—your father. Does he look the same?"_

 _J.J. nodded again._

 _"It's okay for you to hug him," she said gently._

 _He must have been waiting for his mom's permission because nothing could stop him after that. He bounded down the hall, nearly tripping when he reached the door. Bucky caught him in his arms and lifted the boy until they were eye level. They hugged once, and then Bucky pulled back to get a good look at his son. His smile was so wide that it nearly split his face in half. Madison pulled a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and dabbed at her eyes. Bucky hugged J.J. again and shifted the boy to one arm so he could reach for Madison with the other._

 _She joined the embrace, her whole body vibrating with pure joy. She held onto each of them, so incredibly happy to finally have their little family together._

Madison opened her eyes and looked around the hospital room. Another twinge of déjà vu made her heart skip a beat as it sped up. When she turned her head, instead of seeing Tony, she saw Steve.

"Welcome back," he said with a drowsy smile. That was when she noticed it was dark outside.

"How long was I out?"

"About twelve hours. Tony went back to the Compound to get some sleep, too. I was watching over Bucky's procedure but decided that I could do more good here."

All of the memories came rushing back and her heart nearly lodged in her throat. "Where is he? How did it go?" she managed to ask.

Steve shrugged, the action weak. "He's still in there. I was told that it could take another four hours."

"Is that bad?" She watched Steve scratch his chin and took his silence as a yes.

"They lost him twice but were able to revive him. Last time I checked, he was hanging in there. Things looked optimistic."

Conflicting emotions rose up within her. She wanted to weep—out of joy or sorrow, she wasn't sure. But simply weeping sounded pretty damn good.

If Bucky could hold on just a little bit longer, he would get to meet his child.

* * *

The next afternoon, Madison sat by Bucky's bedside, praying, willing, _hoping_ that he would wake up and look at her. She just wanted to know that he was okay, that _they_ were okay. He'd survived the surgery—a feat in and of itself. His head was covered in a bandage, but she knew that underneath there was a row of stitches at the base of his hairline. She was thankful that the doctors hadn't cut his hair. It was such a trivial thought, but she loved his dark, shoulder-length locks. It made him who he was. Though, if he wanted to cut it, she wouldn't stop him.

Just when her eyes started to close, she felt a faint pressure against her palm. She sat up quickly and watched Bucky's hand curl around her fingers. Her gaze flickered up to his face and she breathed a sigh of relief when his steel blue eyes locked onto her.

"Hey," she whispered, smiling and squeezing his hand.

His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath, and then his lips pulled up at the corners. "I think I died…"

Madison's brows drew together for a moment and her smile faltered. Did he know that they'd lost him on the table more than once? Surely he knew that this was real…

"Because there's an angel sitting next to me," he finished with a lazy grin.

Madison laughed quietly. "Real smooth…though I think that's the pain meds talking."

Bucky closed his eyes and shifted restlessly. "Whatever you say, doll."

Shaking her head, Madison couldn't contain the smirk that tugged at her mouth. "All right, Romeo, get some rest," she answered, but he had already fallen back asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I'm baaack! Though I wish I could have stayed. Damn sun keeps hiding behind the clouds here. Is it summer yet?**

 **Thank you to my loyal reviewers! Your kind words always make my day. I hope you're ready for some more drama! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **TWO WEEKS LATER**

Rays of morning sunlight streamed in through Bucky's window, landing on his face to gently rouse him from a restful slumber. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. They all had to be at a meeting in less than an hour but he had plenty of time. He rolled over and smiled at Madison, who remained asleep on her back. Her face was tilted toward him but blocked from view by a chunk of dark blonde hair. He tucked it behind her ear and then brought his hand down to her chest. She no longer had a thick bandage covering the gunshot wound, just a square Band-Aid. He knew the scar underneath was rough and purple-tinted. He hated that he'd put it there, that he'd hurt her. Using his pointer finger, he gently traced a heart around the wound.

Madison's lashes parted and she watched Bucky lean forward to press his soft lips against the spot that he'd just traced. At the same time, his hand moved down and covered her low belly. He raised his head and they exchanged a loving smile.

"Good morning," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair and then stopping to cradle his stubbly cheek.

He said good morning and leaned in for a quick kiss before lifting his head and tenderly dropping one more onto her bare stomach. The affectionate act caused butterflies to stir in her lower abdomen.

"You're too good to me," she said quietly, continuing to stroke his rough facial hair.

His eyes darkened for a moment, as did his smile. "You know that's not true."

"James, stop. You can't keep beating yourself up. Besides, I gave Catesby the words, so it's my own fault."

Bucky shook his head and briefly licked his lips as he glanced around the room. "No matter what you say, I'm not going to stop blaming myself and I'm certainly not going to let you take an ounce of it. No way in hell…" he said, his voice fierce.

She opened her mouth to retaliate but he silenced her with a hard kiss. Her hands rubbed up his arms and moved to his back, massaging her fingers into the rippling muscles there. They were already undressed, so Bucky wasted no time in settling himself between her thighs and pushing into her silky heat.

About thirty minutes later, they finally pulled themselves from the tangled sheets. Bucky sat forward and took a moment to gingerly knead the back of his neck where the incision site prickled and itched. Madison sat up next to him and lightly gripped his shoulders.

"How're you feeling?" she asked, and pressed her lips against his warm skin.

Bucky shrugged and dropped his hand. "It still hurts—not as bad as it did, though. I'm being a lot more physically active than my doctor recommended, but…" He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. "It's worth it."

Madison returned the smile. Bucky had recovered quicker than most; mainly because of the serum that remained in his body. The surgery was only supposed to remove whatever could trigger him into becoming the Winter Soldier. He was still physically stronger than most, could heal faster, and had the skills to take down almost any threat. In essence, he should have been a useless mass for about a month after the procedure. They'd operated on his frontal lobe—the section of the brain that controls speech, memory, movement—basically the most important parts that people need to function in society. But, two weeks later, he was already whispering sweet words to her while they made love and she had no complaints—he was still her James.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said, tugging her from her thoughts. "Want to join me?"

Madison grinned. "Don't mind if I do."

Bucky drew her into the shower, where they explored each other for a second time before surrendering to the day. Madison returned to her own room to get dressed, thankful that the carpet had been replaced before she got back from the hospital. She hadn't given it much thought until she'd walked in and instantly noticed that new carpet smell. Such a small detail, but most likely her pregnancy hormones had clued her in.

Once she was ready, Madison headed for the door, but paused. Her service pistol sat in its holster on her desk, waiting to be strapped on. She was no longer active duty, but was still a SHIELD agent—she couldn't justify going unprotected, especially in these times. She attached her holster to her belt and left the room without a second thought.

Bucky was waiting for her in the kitchen. He passed her a mug of hot decaf coffee, something she would struggle to get used to in the months to come. She loved caffeine—thrived on it—but the regular coffee simply would not sit in her stomach at the moment. She took a sip and gave him a grateful smile, which he returned with a nod.

They entered the glass conference room with Vision, Wanda and Sam. Tony and Steve were already there, speaking with Sharon on the large screen up front. Banner followed them in less than a minute later. They all sat down around the table and looked up at the young blonde, who appeared more and more worn every time they saw her. Madison couldn't fault her though—things had been pretty shitty in the last few weeks.

"So it's a good thing you're all here," Sharon began. "We had planned to update you on Catesby—his whereabouts and what he's been up to—which would have been a short meeting, but this morning's events have changed that…"

"'This morning's events'? What are you talking about?" Madison asked. Sharon's grim expression made her stomach clench with anxiety.

"At approximately 8:35 a.m. EST—25 minutes ago—the English prime minister was assassinated, along with two government officials who were present in her home."

Everyone swapped uneasy glances, fearing what they would hear next.

"We have to assume that it's Catesby. It's what he's wanted all along," Sharon said.

"Do you think he's moved on from the Avengers or, instead, that he's trying to draw us out?" Steve asked.

"We don't know what he wants. He hasn't claimed responsibility for the assassinations—we're just going on assumptions right now. I've spoken with representatives from the UN and the higher-ups at SHIELD. They want you all in London by tonight. They're afraid that this may be the first of many attacks."

"You mean everyone except Barnes and Clark, right?" Tony prompted.

When Sharon began to answer, Bucky sat forward and said, "This isn't the time to count us out—"

"This is _exactly_ the time," Tony said, as if it were obvious. "You just had a major operation, and Clark has been taken off active duty."

"But you need everyone in this—that's what it's going to take to stop this guy. I'm healing, I feel good," Bucky stated.

Tony sighed and looked to Steve for an answer, like maybe Bucky would listen to reason if it came from his best friend. Steve shrugged. "I hate to say it but Bucky's right. We need all hands on deck."

When Tony scoffed, Madison seized the opportunity to put in her two cents. "At least let me stay on as an intelligence agent. I can team up with Sharon—be your eyes and ears, but outside the field."

Tony and Bucky shook their heads at the same time, but the latter was the first to speak up. "I don't want you anywhere near Catesby—not even in the same goddamn country."

"It's safer here at the Compound," Tony added.

Madison gritted her teeth and glared at the two men. She didn't appreciate them ganging up on her. "I'm pregnant—not stupid. You should know that I won't take any unnecessary risks. I wouldn't think of putting our child in harm's way, but this is personal—I can't just sit on my ass and watch shitty TV while you guys are out there, putting your lives on the line. Don't condemn me to that..."

Silence blanketed the room, and the subdued look on both of the men's faces told her that they'd gotten her message loud and clear.

"Okay…" Steve said finally. "You can stay on with Sharon." He turned to the screen. "I mean, as long as you're good with that."

Sharon smiled. "Happy to have you aboard. We need all the help we can get."

Madison nodded and then took a deep breath, savoring the small victory. While Steve and Tony began talking about specifics, she glanced at Bucky. His eyes were on her, brows winkled, jaw tight. For a second she was afraid that he was angry with her—and maybe he was a little—but foremost, she saw fear. She reached over and laid her hand on his arm. "It'll be okay," she whispered.

At first, he didn't respond. He looked down at her hand. Then, his gaze swept over her stomach. When it landed on her face, the intensity nearly took her breath away. "It better be…" he said quietly.

A part of her wanted to launch into a spiel about how he wasn't her boss and she was a grown woman; that she could do whatever she pleased. But that would get them nowhere. And, deep down, she understood his fears. She was carrying a part of him—he was fully invested in this. He could have run for the hills, gone into hiding for the rest of his life. Hell, he could have been a complete ass and claimed that the baby wasn't his. But he didn't. He loved her. And she loved him. Like every relationship, it was a compromise—plain and simple.

Madison looked away from Bucky when the screen on her cell phone lit up. It had been sitting in front of her on the table, and normally she would not have acknowledged it during a meeting, but someone had sent her a text. Curiosity peaked her interest. She picked up the device and unlocked it. The text was from an unknown number, which was slightly disconcerting. Because of her job, she would occasionally receive messages that way, but they generally were not good.

 _ **You can't always hire someone to take care of your problems.**_

Madison frowned as she tried to interpret the message—and who it could possibly be from. Only a second later, another bubble popped up on her screen.

 _ **Sometimes you have to do it yourself.**_

She didn't like the sound of that. Glancing over at Bucky, she began to reach for him, when more text messages flooded her phone.

 _ **10**_

 _ **9**_

Foregoing being discreet, she said, "Guys..."

 _ **8**_

"Something's happening..." She pushed back her chair and started walking toward Steve.

 _ **7**_

 _ **6**_

"What do you mean?" Tony asked at the same time that Steve said, "What is it?"

 _ **5**_

 _ **4**_

She showed them her screen and said in less than the span of a breath, "It's counting down. The first two texts said something about taking care of your own problems."

As the final message counted down to one, they all looked across the large table and through the glass walls and windows, to where a helicopter had dropped to hover just outside. A mounted, fully-automatic assault rifle aimed their way.

"Get down!" Steve yelled.

Madison seemed to be rooted in place until someone grabbed her from behind and swung her around. Bucky covered her body with his own, lifting his metal arm to block them both as bullets blew apart the room.

 _"Steve? What's going on?"_ Sharon shouted through the screen, which started to skip at the word "on," before it shattered into hundreds of pieces.

More glass rained down as the shots continued. She could feel the little shards falling into her hair and escaping past the collar of her shirt to rub against her skin. Random "tings" mixed in with the barrage of gunfire and she knew without looking that it was coming from Bucky's arm. Suddenly the shooting stopped, and Madison reached for the weapon on her hip.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I felt a little bit stuck when I started this chapter and your insight helped me figure out which way to go. I really appreciated it!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Bucky listened to Madison explain herself, about why she needed to be involved in this mission. He understood why. It was personal, just like she said. Catesby had meddled in their private life—unknowingly, at first—but the man had taken pleasure in activating the Winter Soldier and sending him to kill his friends and the woman he loved. Now Madison was pregnant. That changed things. He'd done everything in his power to protect her before, but had always known she could handle herself if he got into a bind. But now that a baby was involved…

He glanced at her stomach, all the while knowing that a part of himself was inside her. His jaw clenched right along with his gut when Madison touched his arm and said, "It'll be okay."

He'd lived on this earth for almost 100 years—most of it in cryo—but a part of him had always wanted to be a father. Playboy Bucky Barnes had pushed that want aside, telling himself that after the war there would be plenty of time to find the right woman to settle down with and start a family. Obviously that hadn't happened. The Winter Soldier had taken over his life and made him the furthest thing from a family man.

So here was Madison Clark—the woman he'd waited for his whole life. She was carrying his child, which had happened rather quickly, but he wasn't going to complain. He was so thankful for her, for the prospect of their future. If only they could avoid getting killed in the meantime.

"It better be…" he said finally, his cobalt gaze cutting in to her own.

Madison looked away, putting her hands in her lap, as she appeared to be deep in thought. Bucky stared at the side of her face and admired the shape of her cheekbones, the pout of her lips. She even had a bit of a glow, but it could have been his imagination. He wanted to put her in a bubble—a safe room would have been ideal—until this whole thing blew over and Catesby was in the ground.

Bucky inhaled deeply and then blew out a heavy breath, directing his attention back to Steve and Tony. He may have lost the battle to keep Madison completely out of harm's way, but at least she wouldn't be on the front line, and the longer she stayed at the Compound, the safer she would be.

"Guys… Something's wrong," Madison said suddenly, an edge of fear in her voice. Bucky frowned and watched her walk up to Steve and Tony. She held up her phone. "It's counting down. The first two texts said something about taking care of your own problems."

 _Catesby._

That was the only thought Bucky could process before a helicopter appeared outside, armed with a mounted assault rifle. His head turned back to Madison, seeing her right in the line of fire. He launched out of his chair and caught her around the waist, swinging her to the floor and shielding her with his body. He raised his arm just a millisecond before bullets rained down on them. His metal arm vibrated with every hit, almost to the point of pain. He gritted his teeth and continued to cover Madison.

When the shooting stopped, Madison surprised him by raising up and firing her service weapon. As she emptied her magazine, he looked back at the helicopter just in time to see her clip the shooter in the shoulder. Around them, everyone sprung to action. Staying low, Tony slipped out into the hallway, surely making his way to the lab that housed his Iron Man suits. Steve signaled for everyone to follow him. Bucky placed his hand on Madison's shoulder and urged her forward, while still covering her back, just in case a new shooter decided to step up and replace the injured one.

Crouching down, Steve moved into the corridor and they all followed. Bucky heard Vision alerting SHIELD of the security breach, which meant that backup would be arriving soon. They were almost to the armory when an explosion rocked the front entrance. Soldiers wearing dark clothing and masks, most likely private contractors, climbed over the rubble and emerged from the cloud of smoke. Bucky prayed that it wasn't gas. He would have bet that it wasn't, but either one wouldn't be good for Madison or the baby. He tugged off his long-sleeve shirt, thankful for the black tee underneath. Bunching up the soft material, he pressed it to Madison's nose and mouth. Her eyes flicked over to his and he could see how grateful—and scared—she was.

"It'll be okay," he stated as calmly as he could, echoing her words from before the attack.

Madison nodded, coughing into his shirt. "We need more weapons or we won't last until SHIELD gets here!"

At that same moment, Steve emerged from his room, his Captain America shield in hand. "Get Madison somewhere safe and then meet me back here! I'll keep them busy…" he said, turning toward the advancing soldiers. They fired at him and he put up his shield to block the shots.

Bucky didn't waste any time, propelling Madison toward the armory at the end of the hall. Quickly, he pressed his thumb to the print reader and allowed his iris to be scanned.

"Sergeant James Barnes, clear for entry," FRIDAY announced.

The door slid open and Madison began to move inside, but someone yanked on her collar, forcing her backward. At the same time, Bucky was pushed forward and the armory door closed. Bucky tried to open the door but the control panel was not responding. He looked up at the security screen in the corner, which showed the hallway leading away from the armory door, and felt his heart plummet into his stomach.

* * *

Catesby smiled at the security camera and pulled Madison closer, his hot breath expelling into her hair. She tried to step on his foot and throw her head back into his, but he was a step ahead and easily thwarted her attempts at self-defense. She wiggled against his tight hold and he drove his handgun further into her side. She grimaced in pain and glanced up at the camera, her gaze desperate.

"Let her go," Bucky demanded, his voice echoing from the intercom.

"Why should I listen to you?" Catesby asked as his grip tightened even more. Madison continued to struggle but already felt exhausted. Her overall energy level had been quite depleted since the start of this first trimester of pregnancy, so she considered herself at a disadvantage.

"Turn yourself in and maybe we can reduce your sentence," Bucky replied. "At least avoid the death penalty."

Catesby laughed and Madison could feel the vibration against her back. Finally, he shook his head. "That's not a very tempting offer," he said. Then his expression became serious. "No, I've already decided what's going to happen here. And I need you to listen _very_ carefully."

Bucky didn't respond, and Madison figured he was holding his breath just like her.

 _"Zhelaniye,"_ Catesby said with perfect inflection.

Madison tensed, her adrenaline spiking. She tried to twist around, but Catesby's iron hold wouldn't budge. She decided to stop struggling, as she really didn't want to set off the gun he had pressed against her stomach.

 _"Rzhavyy."_

"No, please, stop," Madison begged breathlessly. So far Bucky hadn't been strong enough to test out if the surgery had worked or not. She honestly didn't know what to expect…

Catesby ignored her pleading and moved onto the next word. They both started when something smashed into the armory door. It shuddered, but didn't open. Madison's heart rate accelerated as Catesby repeated the words and the smashing continued.

When he said the last word: _"Gruzovoy vagon"_ the door collapsed and they both jumped back. Bucky emerged with an assault rifle raised and ready to fire. Madison could see his chest heaving from exertion, and his arms flexing as he adjusted his grip on the weapon. It was hard to say where he was aiming, but it looked like it was right on her.

 _"Ubey yeye,"_ Catesby said, his words firm. "Kill her."

Madison implored Bucky with her gaze and said, "James…please. You don't want to do this…"

In that moment, he looked at her, like _really_ looked at her, and she knew she was talking to her James.

"You're right, I don't," Bucky said as he moved his rifle a fraction of an inch and fired two rounds into the center of Catesby's forehead—a spot that they both knew would make it impossible for the man to discharge his gun on reflex.

Catesby's body went limp and Madison stumbled as his dead weight fell back onto the carpet. Immediately, Bucky lowered his weapon and rushed toward Madison, drawing her into his arms.

"I got scared for a second there," she whispered at his ear. She closed her eyes and squeezed him tighter.

Bucky held her close and nuzzled his nose into her neck, inhaling her scent. "You and me both, Maddy."

Shots fired off behind them and they were instantly aware of the battle that continued to ravage the Compound, regardless of Catesby's demise. Bucky stepped out of the embrace but kept his hands on Madison's waist. Using his chin, he gestured at the armory.

"Sorry I took the door off but I think that would be the safest place for you." His gaze dropped to her stomach for a second, and then returned to her concerned face. "For the both of you."

To his surprise, Madison nodded. He could tell it was killing her not to help, but that she understood her place right now. And that place was wherever she could keep their baby safe.

They rushed into the armory and Bucky grabbed two handguns, along with another rifle. Madison found two more magazines for her service weapon and then barricaded herself in one corner of the room. He looked at her for a moment, reluctant to go. She smiled.

"Don't worry about me. I can handle this. Just watch your back," she said.

Bucky took a deep breath and nodded. When he turned to go, she called out his name. He stopped and turned back to her.

"I love you."

Bucky returned her sad smile. "Love you, too."

* * *

Bucky hurried down the corridor, keeping his assault rifle at the ready. An enemy soldier exited one of the bedrooms, his back to Bucky. The man tried to shoot at Steve, who was fighting off more soldiers, but Bucky was faster. He popped off three quick shots and continued toward his friend.

"About time you showed up!" Steve hollered as Bucky tossed him a handgun. He blocked a bullet with his shield and then returned fire.

"Catesby's dead!" Bucky said, cracking the end of his rifle into another soldier's face.

"Then why are they still coming?" Steve asked.

Bucky used his arm to prevent an attack from his left as he said, "I don't think they know!"

Another explosion shook the building and both men glanced outside to see Stark and Wilson fly by, having just taken down the helicopter. A fireball bloomed skyward and they squinted against the glare. They only had that brief moment to rest, because the threat didn't seem to be letting up. Bucky saw Wanda down the hall, using the power within her hands to crash two soldiers into each other and then opposite walls.

"Where's Banner?" Bucky yelled at Steve.

"Probably hiding!" He hurled his shield across the room, hitting three soldiers, and then caught it when it bounced off the furthest wall and returned to him. "Which is okay with me! The last thing we need to deal with right now is the Hulk!"

One of Catesby's men caught Bucky off guard and got in a solid punch before Bucky swung his metal arm back and landed an even bigger hit, which knocked the man unconscious. "You sure about that?" Bucky retorted.

Steve chuckled. "Trust me!"

Just then, a small army of SHIELD officers and agents stormed through the gaping entryway. Catesby's remaining men surrendered, knowing they were outnumbered. One tried to run but Steve promptly hit him in the back with his shield. The man went sprawling and remained on the floor, too stunned to move. Bucky just looked at his friend and his shook his head with a smirk.

* * *

 **A/N: Next chapter is the last! What would you all like to see in the epilogue?**


	23. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Hey, could we talk for a minute?" Bucky asked Madison after she stepped out of the Compound's main elevator. The new entryway still smelled faintly of fresh paint. They'd been able to move back in a few months before, once repairs had been made to the inside following the battle with Catesby and his men.

Madison frowned somewhat as anxiety made her gut clench. "Of course, let's go into our room," she suggested.

Bucky took her hand and they walked down the hallway in tense silence. _What could he want to talk about?_ she wondered, smoothing a hand over her large stomach. A slight waddle impeded her steps but she was determined to keep a normal pace. Still, she could tell that Bucky was moving slower just for her. She squeezed his hand for reassurance that everything was okay and he squeezed it back with a warm smile.

After that she felt like she could breathe a little more, minus the fact that the baby was ready to pop out at any moment and seemed to love kicking her in the ribs. She'd almost thought that the baby had broken one the week before—clearly, it was Bucky's child. Another sign that he was the father: they'd learned that her miraculous recovery from the gunshot had to do with the baby's ability to heal faster than a normal person, which had been passed onto her for these nine months.

They went by Natasha in the corridor, who gave them a nod and continued on her way. She had also made a full recovery and had no lasting effects from her leg injury. Her return to the Compound had been good timing since Madison was taken off active duty for the immediate future. Luckily, Madison wasn't expected to take leave for the entire pregnancy. She was given a desk job at SHIELD, which was to be supervised by her close friend and colleague, Sharon Rogers. Sharon had moved back to D.C. permanently, for the sole reason to be with her new husband. Madison couldn't have been happier for her and Steve.

When Bucky and Madison entered their bedroom, which was formally just Bucky's (her room was reverted back to the guest room), he closed the door behind them. Madison sat on the edge of the bed and he sat down next to her.

"You're kind of scaring me," she said, her voice breathless.

"I'm sorry. It's important, but not scary," he said with a small chuckle. "Uh, Stark made me an offer today."

Madison raised her eyebrows in surprise. That was not what she was expecting him to say—and Tony making an offer could mean anything.

"He's offered to make me a new arm. Like, a real arm…"

She stared at him. "So, no more metal arm?"

He nodded, his expression serious now.

Madison glanced at her lap, where she was nervously rubbing her belly. A tight, niggling pain radiated throughout her core and down into her hips. She took a shallow breath and then let it out with a quiet groan.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asked, his blue eyes darkening in concern. He touched her thigh and stroked the polyester fabric of her dress pants.

When the uncomfortable sensation ceased, she raised her gaze. "I think the baby's coming."

She could tell from Bucky's expression that he was just as nervous as her. His hand stilled and his lips parted. "Uh, yeah, okay…um, okay…"

Madison had to stifle a laugh. She too was freaking out, but Bucky was just too cute when he got flustered. "My bag is in the closet. Let me get a snack and then you can drive me to the hospital."

He looked at her without blinking. "You want a snack…?"

"Yeah," she said slowly. "I just got back from work. I'm hungry."

Bucky shook his head, finally breaking out into a laugh. "Okay, let's get your snack and then head over."

She just smiled and let him help her to her feet.

* * *

Twelve hours later, Madison held the tiny baby in her arms, her exhaustion forgotten on the high of becoming a mother. She grinned at the man standing next to her hospital bed as he reached out to stroke the infant's flushed cheek.

"I still can't believe it…" Bucky said in awe.

Madison smiled at the baby now. "Our son," she whispered. "We still need to choose a name…"

Bucky was silent as he thought about it, then let out a small laugh.

"What?" she asked.

"What about James? He could carry on the name. Or would that be too confusing?"

Madison suddenly had a strong sense of déjà vu. She gazed at their baby and that feeling was quickly replaced with something that she couldn't explain. Something that made her feel like James was the perfect name. "What if we call him J.J.?" she asked out of the blue.

"Short for James Jr.?"

She nodded.

"I love it," he said without hesitation, and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

* * *

Later that evening, when Madison had finished nursing J.J., Bucky took the newborn and placed him in the bassinet as she moved to a reclined position in the hospital bed. Bucky sat back down in his armchair and scooted it closer to her. She offered him a sleepy smile as he took her hand.

He tried to keep the tremble out of his own as he said quietly, "Don't fall asleep on me just yet."

She scoffed, the sound weak from fatigue. "You would deprive a new mother of sleep?"

He chuckled softly. "Only if I have a good reason."

She narrowed her eyes on him, suspicion and humor blurring together. "Then it better be good."

Bucky swallowed hard and dug a hand into his pants pocket. When his nervous gaze returned to Madison, she looked significantly more awake. He held a ring between his thumb and forefinger, and placed it in her palm.

At first, she didn't look at it. She just stared at him, taking shallow breaths. Bucky's lips twitched into a smile. "I think you know what I'm going to ask you."

She finally looked down at the ring, a thin rose gold band engraved with vines and flowers. She'd never seen anything like it. "Where did you get this?"

Bucky cleared his throat and simply watched her examine the ring. "It was my mom's."

Startled, Madison gaped at him. "Where…? _How did you find it?_ "

"My mom died when I was young. My dad gave me her ring before he left for basic training. He told me to give it to someone who made me truly happy; someone I couldn't wait to see after a long day at work; my best friend. He, uh, passed away not long after that…"

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as tears sparkled in her eyes. He'd never told her anything about his family.

He shrugged. "It was a long time ago. But I kept the ring—put it into storage before I got shipped overseas. When I…died, everything went to my sister. Believe it or not, I found her in a nursing home during those few years that I was in hiding. She gave it back to me…and, well, here we are."

Madison couldn't contain the tears now. She wiped the moisture from her cheeks and sniffled gently. "This is too special. I can't take it from you…"

"Maddy, I want you to have it. You're everything to me; everything my father described." He smiled and enclosed her hands within his own. "I want you to be my wife…if you'll have me."

The woman choked back more tears and gave him a watery grin. "Nothing would make me happier."

He'd never had a wider smile than at that moment. "I was really hoping you'd say that." He started to put the band on her left ring finger, but it wouldn't go past her knuckle. They both burst out laughing and then quickly stifled it, as not to wake the sleeping baby.

"Guess I'll have to wait until the swelling goes down," she said with a reluctant pout.

"Ah, but I came prepared," he said, reaching into his pocket once more. He revealed a silver, chain necklace, unclasped it, and slipped the ring onto it. "May I?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied, and sat forward, allowing him to secure the chain around her neck. When he stepped back, she said, "You know, I've been thinking…"

"Uh oh," he said, laughing.

"No, it's not bad. I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, about Tony making you a new arm."

Bucky's expression became serious, perhaps even a bit nervous. "Oh, yeah. What do you think?"

"I want you to do whatever makes you happy. I'll love you no matter how you look."

He studied the metal hand sticking out from his long-sleeve shirt. He flexed his fingers, the room's dim light reflecting off the shiny surface. "That's good because I think I've already made up my mind." He paused. "I want to keep it. Every time I consider another option, I think back to when Catesby's men shot up the conference room. It protected us. I have a family now," he said, glancing at the nearby bassinet. "I'd be stupid to get rid of something that could keep us safe, or _safer_. And men like Catesby will always be around. The world needs the Avengers. I want to be able to help in any way that I can."

Madison admired him, her gaze soft on his face. She held his mother's wedding ring between her fingertips and said with complete reverence, "I love you."

Bucky leaned in to give her a slow kiss; the kind of kiss that made her insides flood with warmth and tingle with anticipation. "I love you, too," he murmured against her lips.

"Keep kissing me like that and I'll end up pregnant again," she whispered, threading her fingers through his shoulder-length hair.

"I wouldn't mind that at all," he replied with a low chuckle, and kissed her again.

"Well, let's have this wedding and then see what we can do," she said, giving him a wink.

* * *

 **A/N: That's a wrap! I hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. (And if you did, please leave a review! Even a short one is appreciated!) Thank you to all of my amazing readers for the kind words. It means everything to me! And a special thank you to my friend, Caren (WishfulThinker66), for being so supportive, whether it's proofreading or just bouncing off ideas, I wouldn't be able to do it without you!**

 **Until next time...**

 **~Ariel**


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